Popov caps whirlwind ride, wins Women’s British Open
German who played golf for the University of Southern California claims first major.
Five months ago, Sophia Popov and her mom poured a couple of glasses of champagne to celebrate her first professional golf victory. The 28-year-old had finally broken through on the Cactus Tour, an Arizonabased circuit that carried on, controversially to some, throughout the pandemic. She won the next week too, setting a course record with an opening 61 at Las Colinas and following it up with a third title at Troon North.
Looking back, that champagne toast and Troon victory foreshadowed a life-changing moment that took place on the 18th green at Royal Troon an ocean away at the AIG Women’s British Open. A victory that took place in front of only a handful of people due to COVID-19 but with a worldwide television audience that had fallen in love with the long-shot German who ranked 304th and held no LPGA status.
With no grandstands and fans to wave to as Popov came up the 18th fairway with a three-shot lead, she turned to her caddie, boyfriend Maximilian Mehles, and told him the calming seaside views reminded her of a scene from “Lord of the Rings.” It wasn’t the electric atmosphere that the Symetra Tour player deserved, but Popov knew her performance this past week inspired people more than she’ll ever know.
“I think that’s why I broke down on the 18th hole,” said Popov, “because it’s been something I couldn’t have dreamed of just a week ago, and it’s incredible that golf allows for these things to happen because, you know, I think the difference between two players any given week is never that big … and the hard work they put in is the same.”
The first two rounds at Royal Troon – a staple of the men’s British Open rota that was hosting the women for the first time – were as stern as they come. The cutline fell at 9 over, and despite the weekend providing more idyllic scoring conditions, only four players broke par for the week.
Popov entered the final round with a three-stroke lead and looked primed to falter after an opening bogey. But she did nothing of the sort, pouring in back-to-back birdies to prove her mettle.
LPGA Hall of Famer Inbee Park made a late charge with a closing 66 to finish fourth, and Minjee Lee, one of the best on tour without a major title, carded a third consecutive 69 with one of the most outlandish up and downs ever recorded at the Postage Stamp. She’d finish alone in third, four shots back.
Jasmine Suwannapura, a two-time winner on the LPGA who broke her back four years ago, came the closest to spoiling Popov’s party, but even her terrifically brave 67 wasn’t enough to thwart the German.
The lead was so comfortable, in fact, that a safe bogey on the 72nd hole gave Popov a two-stroke victory at 7-under 277 and a check for $675,000.
“I knew that the winner’s check is very big,” said a wideeyed Popov during her postround news conference, “but I didn’t know it was that big, which is awesome.”
She had won $108,051 total on the LPGA before this weekend. Because Popov is not a member of the LPGA, her British Open winnings won’t count toward the money list.
She joins Bernhard Langer and Martin Kaymer as the only Germans to have won a major championship. Popov, a Southern California grad who helped the Trojans win the 2013 NCAA Championship, first earned LPGA membership in 2015, and Royal Troon marked her 34th LPGA appearance.
“I almost quit playing last year,” she said. “Thank god I didn’t.”
Instead she committed to a full year on the Symetra Tour, which turned into a full schedule on the Cactus Tour after the coronavirus brought everything else to a halt. In July, Popov traveled to Toledo to caddie for good friend Ann van Dam at the Inverness Club.
She got into the next week’s field, the Marathon LPGA Classic, because the tour filled out the field with Symetra Tour players after COVID-19 kept many international players from coming over to the USA.
Popov, using a pull cart, took full advantage of the opportunity, finishing tied for ninth. That showing got her into the field at Royal Troon. She flew back to Phoenix last week to compete on the Symetra Tour, finished tied for second, and arrived in Scotland on Tuesday. After one practice round she took off on her magical run, watching a rerun of Henrik Stenson’s triumph over Phil Mickelson in 2016 at Troon for inspiration.