“Monday I wore Megan Khang’s pants. Tuesday, I wore my sister’s pants, and Wednesday I wore Alison Lee’s pants. And today I’m wearing FootJoy pants,” Korda said.

The mishap seems to have yielded some good luck: Korda opened on Thursday with a five-under 66, one shot off the leader, Hinako Shibuno. FootJoy sent her a box of clothes, but she’s still missing her logoed hats. She’s playing in a Muirfield hat.

The most frustrating aspect of this lost-baggage tale is that Korda knows exactly where the bag is. She has a tag on the bag that allows her to track its whereabouts, which is telling her they’re at the airport in Zurich. She just hasn’t been able to get someone at the airport to send the bag along to Scotland.

“So if anyone knows anyone at the Zurich airport that would like to put my suitcase on the one flight a day that they have coming into Edinburgh,” Korda said, “I’d deeply appreciate it.”

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The post Jessica Korda playing in borrowed clothes thanks to lost luggage, but she’s just 1 back after Day 1 at AIG Women’s Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Since then the Swedish star has shone consistently and has occupied the top 50 of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings for large portions of
her career, including several spells in the top 10.

Notching a further six LPGA wins in the meantime, it wasn’t until 2017 when Nordqvist added a second major to her tally by winning the Evian Championship.

Her impressive career includes seven Solheim Cups with a winning record that places her among Europe’s all-time elite, a position reinforced by a third major title secured at the AIG Women’s British Open just days before a fourth Solheim Cup victory was achieved with Team Europe.

The 34-year-old returns to the Middle East in November where she will be in action competing in the Aramco Saudi Ladies International (November 4-7) and Aramco Team Series – Jeddah (November 10-12) at the prestigious Royal Greens G&CC, Saudi Arabia.

We caught up with the Arizona-based Swede ahead of the Ladies European Tour double-header in King Abdullah Economic City and started by returning to her glorious week at the British Open.

● ● ●

GD: Reflecting on your AIG Women’s British Open victory, what stands out from that week?
AN: It still feels unreal that I won the British Open at Carnoustie, and as a European, there’s nothing bigger to win. To do it at such a historic venue and being so close to friends and family of both my husband – who grew up 20 minutes away – and caddie, who all came to watch and support, I can’t see it getting any better.

● ● ●

Where does it sit among all your professional achievements?
It’s definitely the biggest victory of my career. I’m extremely proud of the achievement and of all the hard work that I’ve put in over the last couple of years, especially when I haven’t seen that hard work pay off in my results. I’m extremely happy and I think when this season ends, I’ll have more time to process it, but I’m very proud.

● ● ●

What does it mean to be part of the European Solheim Cup Team?
For me, Solheim Cups have been the biggest events I’ve played in my career. I remember going down to Barsebäck [Golf & Country Club, Sweden,] in 2003 and watching it with my family. I’d played golf for just three years at that time and could only dream of playing in an atmosphere like that.

When I think of that girl now, having played in seven… that really blows my professional goals out of the park.

● ● ●

How has your role within the team changed since your first Solheim Cup?
In my first team, as a rookie in 2009, I was fortunate to compete alongside so many golfers I admired growing up. I played with Laura Davies, Suzann Pettersen, Helen Alfredsson, Sophie Gustafson, Maria Hjorth, basically all the women I grew up watching. That experience was very special but obviously now having played in quite a few myself, I’m one of the more experienced players and help look after the rookies. It’s surreal when I think about it. I’m extremely proud and honoured to have had an opportunity to represent Europe and be part of so many amazing teams, with so many other players.

● ● ●

You’ve won in Europe twice and the U.S. twice. Does winning on home or away soil feel better and why?
I just love the Solheim Cup wherever it is; there’s something very special about it. The atmosphere, walking up to the first tee, hitting the first tee shot – something I was charged with at this last Solheim Cup – these are moments I live for. I just love it.

Winning is always special. It doesn’t compare with anything else. It’s perhaps a little more special to win on U.S. soil, probably because we’re underdogs and have the majority of the crowd against you. That said, in 2019 at Gleneagles, my whole family were there cheering me on, screaming, shouting and dressing up. It’s such a big week for my family and those are the few weeks in my career when they all come to watch me play and we all get such a fun week out of it, so they’re all special but 2019 was maybe the most special because of just how much I could share it with my family.

● ● ●

Nordqvist finished in a share of 11th place at last year’s Aramco Saudi Ladies International

You played in the Aramco Saudi Ladies International in 2020, which, as you know was a watershed moment for Saudi Arabia as it was one of the first professional female sports events in the Kingdom. Why do you think it’s good for golf to be played at an elite level in new and emerging destinations?
To have been part of the first women’s professional golf event in Saudi Arabia last year is very cool. Meeting young girls there and women who’ve excelled in the Middle East has been awesome. It’s important to play all over the world to show this is a sport without limits, without borders and that as a professional golfer it’s great to travel the world, not only to show you can compete anywhere but also to experience different cultures.

I have always loved my time in Saudi Arabia. On my first trip, I met a lot of amazing people from all walks of life and it’s inspirational to see how other people have accomplished their dreams. I’m looking forward to coming back this year and I know there are plans in place to make the event even better this year. There was a young girl I met last year in the Pro-Am, and I’m looking forward to seeing her again and understanding how she’s been getting on in pursuing her own goals and ambitions.

● ● ●

The Ladies First Club was launched at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International and welcomed 1,000 Saudi women who signed up to free access to golf. What do you think of initiatives like this?
I know not everyone is fortunate enough to have access to golf courses and equipment, but for 1,000 women to be provided with free access to the sport in a safe and comfortable environment is remarkable. I know those spots filled up very quickly, so there’s clearly an interest and I’m looking forward to seeing how it’s been going for those women in the last year.

● ● ●

The Aramco Team Series will have visited London, Sotogrande, Spain and New York by the time it reaches King Abdullah Economic City for the season finale

Besides your playing experiences in the region, you now have strong ties with the Middle East through your ambassadorial roles with Golf Saudi and the Aramco Team Series. What made you want to be an ambassador for those brands?
Initiatives like the Ladies First Club and seeing how Aramco and Golf Saudi are looking to grow the women’s game was what touched me most and made me want to be an ambassador. What I’m most passionate about is creating opportunities for women, especially young girls, to be able to pick up golf.

I’m very proud to be an ambassador for Golf Saudi and the Aramco Team Series because they are trying to grow the game in places where we can’t really take women’s golf, or even women’s sports, for granted.

Aramco and Golf Saudi’s initiative to sponsor five tournaments has made a massive difference to the [Ladies] European Tour and women’s golf in general. By coming up with new, fun ways of including women and amateur golfers like they do in the Aramco Team Series, and broadcasting around the world really helps demonstrate how many great personalities there are on the LET.

● ● ●

Is being a role model or ambassador important to you?
I think it’s very important to be an ambassador for the game of golf and especially for young girls all over the world. I always said to, ‘be the change you wish to see’ and I think if I didn’t have amazing role models growing up like Annika [Sörenstam] and other players from Sweden playing at the highest level, it would have been hard for me to make the same dreams. Sharing experiences and seeing first-hand what it’s like you can see the potential, and I feel that by being an ambassador, if I help someone take up the game, or believe in themselves, or be proud of being a young girl with big dreams, I think we’re on a good track. I think it’s very important to use your voice as a professional golfer and be an ambassador and role model for young girls to pursue their dreams. It doesn’t necessarily have to be golf. Travelling around the world and playing in lots of different countries enables us to be role models to young people and help them dream maybe a little bigger.

● ● ●

The innovative format for 2020’s Aramco Saudi Ladies Team International has been adopted and re-energised as the Aramco Team Series, which is played four times per year in four global cities. What do you like about the Aramco Team Series?
I can honestly say it’s a fun tournament I really look forward to. It’s something different from what we normally do every week. Getting to pick a teammate is nice, but then having another pro randomly paired with you also gives you the opportunity to meet other girls on tour you might not meet otherwise. It’s really great to have the amateurs playing too, and it’s so much fun when they contribute to the team, or just make a good shot, but we also give them advice through the tournament and when they have success following giving them advice – that’s really rewarding. It’s also just lovely to get to know other people from around the world that I might not otherwise spend time with. It’s a great week where you can enjoy the team atmosphere and probably relax a little more than usual weeks. It’s fun to see how well-received it’s been from both amateurs and pros.

[divider] [/divider]

Global Game Changer

The inaugural Aramco Saudi Ladies International marked a new dawn for women’s golf in the kingdom last year. That success has led to ‘Get Into Golf’ initiatives being replicated globally.

Following its successful inauguration in 2020, the Aramco Saudi Ladies International (ASLI) returns to Royal Greens G&CC in King Abdullah Economic City from November 4-7.

Won last year by Dane Emily Kristine Pedersen (pictured above), the European Solheim Cup star’s victory helped her claim the 2020 Race to Costa del Sol, the Ladies European Tour’s season-long competition to crown Europe’s No.1 player.

Sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET), the event offers a prize fund of $1M, which – now alongside the new Aramco Team Series – makes Aramco the single most significant supporter of the LET.

As part of ‘Vision 2030’ – Saudi Arabia’s transformative economic and social reform blueprint opening up the Kingdom to the world – the Quality of Life Program endeavours to expand the horizons of many sectors that directly impact citizens, including sports, culture and entertainment.

High profile golf events are a feature for Saudi Arabia’s golf strategy; designed to inspire next generations and showcase the natural beauty of the nation.

Ladies First Club
Within just four days of its launch by Golf Saudi in 2020, a phenomenal 1000 women and girls signed-up to play and receive regular lessons via the Ladies First Club. With the goal of getting more females playing golf, the Ladies First Club is a hands-on, experience-led initiative that helps get women and girls with club in hand and learning more about golf and getting a better taste of the game. Thanks to its success in Saudi Arabia, the Ladies First Club initiative has gone international with help from the Aramco Team Series, which has sought to replicate its impact at every venue the innovative tournament series is played.

The post Anna Nordqvist  is determined to make her ambassadorial role for Golf Saudi count, in the kingdom and beyond appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan acknowledged the social media uproar that included Tommy Fleetwood calling it “stupid” and Ian Poulter “absolutely embarrassing to the LPGA and to the game of golf.”

But Whan stood by the decisions in a video statement he made at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on Friday afternoon.

“As it relates to the 2020 ANA Inspiration, we set that field back in March right before we thought we were going to play,” he said. “We did that for one reason. We wanted to make sure that anyone who has qualified to play in this year’s ANA Inspiration was set. You couldn’t play your way out of it now after restarts and COVID stops. Anything that happens after we set that field, we’ll address in future years. I’m pretty sure that’s the same as the Masters. They set their field back in March, April, and now if you win a tournament on the PGA Tour you’re qualifying for the 2021 Masters, not the November 2020 Masters.”

LPGA members, meanwhile, are given a five-year exemption by winning a major championship. Popov, a member of the Symetra Tour, had not yet earned LPGA membership when she won the Women’s Open at Royal Troon last Sunday.

“With regards to two years [exemption] versus five years, I keep getting these texts and emails saying, ‘this has never happened before, Mike. Come on. You’re smarter than this,’” Whan said.

He then noted that during his tenure as commissioner a non-member has won a major on three other occasions, most recently in the 2019 AIG Women’s Open, won by Hinako Shibuno.

“You may not like the regulation,” Whan said. “I’m going to think about that in the off season when we really assess all of our regulations. What I won’t do is change regulations in the middle of the season. What I won’t do is change the regulation on the Monday after an emotional win.

“I will look at that regulation long term because I think that’s a fair question. But I’m not going to do that in the middle of the year. I’m not going to do that on the Monday after. That’s not the right way to run a sport. And quite frankly not the fairest way to treat your athletes. When they tee it up on Monday they ought to know what those wins earn.”

A message from @LPGACommish Mike Whan pic.twitter.com/dthJSzq0jX

— LPGA (@LPGA) August 28, 2020

Whan said he is a Popov fan, that he in fact “cried when she won.” It did not influence his decisions, however.

“I hope this doesn’t take away for all of us for what Sophia deserves, which is an incredible win and an incredible opportunity she’s earned,” he said. “And I’m quite certain that Sophia, like others that have come before, will turn that opportunity into a long-term career.”

The post LPGA stands by controversial decisions not to alter regulations to accommodate Sophia Popov appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
Sophia Popov was expected to make a massive leap in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings, but the biggest jump in the history? Just add that to accolades that go with Popov’s stunning win at the AIG Women’s British Open.

The 27-year-old German, who didn’t have LPGA status, was ranked No. 304 prior to starting play at Royal Troon. But her two-shot triumph allowed her to climb up to No. 24, leaping 280 spots with her one magical tournament.

RELATED: Sophia Popov overcomes long battle with Lyme disease and losing her tour card to win AIG Women’s British Open

Prior to Popov’s accomplishment, the biggest jump in rankings happened in 2007. That March, Meaghan Francella won the LPGA Tour’s MasterCard Classic while ranked No. 330 in the world. With the victory, Francella’s lone LPGA title, she moved to No. 77. A huge, 253-spot move, but not as big as Popov’s.

Behind Francella, Jessica Korda won the 2012 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open while ranked No. 285 and moved 203 spots to No. 82.

The lowest ranked player to win a major prior to Popov was Anna Nordqvist, who won the 2009 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship when she was ranked No. 214. She climbed to No. 24 after that win (190 spots).

These numbers give even more context to the incredible, unlikely victory of the now former Symetra Tour player, her major win giving her full status on the LPGA Tour.

The post Sophia Popov officially makes the biggest one-week jump in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings history appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Golf Digest Editors
How big a victory was the AIG Women’s British Open for Germany’s Sophia Popov? Well consider this: Prior to the win at Royal Troon, Popov, 27, had earned a mere $108,051 on the LPGA Tour in 33 pro starts. Her performance this week in Scotland however, earned his $675,000, or more than five times her career earnings.

Yes, it’s safe to call the triumph a life-altering event.

Popov didn’t have official LPGA membership entering the week, but the victory secured that through the 2021 season. She also becomes the first player from Germany to win a women’s major championship and just the third German player to win a major, joining Martin Kaymer and Bernhard Langer.

“It feels amazing,” Popov said. “There’s a lot of hard work behind it, and a lot of struggles that I went through the last six years, especially health-wise, and I’m just glad I was able to overcome everything and just keep my head in it. I knew I was capable. I just had a lot of obstacles thrown in my way, and I just, I’m glad I stuck with it. I almost quit playing last year, so thank God I didn’t.”

The overall prize money payout from the R&A was $4.5 million. Here’s how much each golfer who made the cut earned for their efforts in the year’s first women’s major.

WIN: Sophia Popov, -7, $675,000

2: Jasmine Suwannapura, -5, $407,926

3: Minjee Lee, -3, $295,468

4: Inbee Park, -1, $228,194

5: Austin Ernst, E, $183,349

6: Momoko Ueda, +1, $149,712

T-7: Andrea Lee, +2, $105,426

T-7: In Gee Chun, +2, $105,426

T-7: Jennifer Song, +2, $105,426

T-7: Caroline Masson, +2, $105,426

T-11: Ashleigh Buhai, +3, $77,057

T-11: Kristen Gillman, +3, $77,057

T-11: Emily Kristine Pedersen, +3, $77,057

T-14: Marina Alex, +4, $60,240

T-14: Angela Stanford, +4, $60,240

T-14: Nelly Korda, +4, $60,240

T-14: Cydney Clanton, +4, $60,240

T-14: Lydia Ko, +4, $60,240

T-19: Lizette Salas, +5, $49,926

T-19: Brittany Altomare, +5, $49,926

T-19: Lindsey Weaver, +5, $49,926

T-22: Ally McDonald, +6, $41,276

T-22: Haru Nomura, +6, $41,276

T-22: Caroline Inglis, +6, $41,276

T-22: Alena Sharp, +6, $41,276

T-22: Ariya Jutanugarn, +6, $41,276

T-22: Megan Khang, +6, $41,276

T-22: Katherine Kirk, +6, $41,276

T-29: Alison Lee, +7, $33,556

T-29: Hannah Green, +7, $33,556

T-29: Dani Holmqvist, +7, $33,556

T-32: Danielle Kang, +8, $27,149

T-32: Mi Hyang Lee, +8, $27,149

T-32: Jing Yan, +8, $27,149

T-32: Elizabeth Szokol, +8, $27,149

T-32: Yealimi Noh, +8, $27,149

T-32: Lee-Anne Pace, +8, $27,149

T-32: Anna Nordqvist, +8, $27,149

T-39: Stephanie Meadow, +9, $20,326

T-39: Perrine Delacour, +9, $20,326

T-39: Dana Finkelstein, +9, $20,326

T-39: Jodi Ewart Shadoff, +9, $20,326

T-39: Mel Reid, +9, $20,326

T-39: Azahara Munoz, +9, $20,326

T-45: Pernilla Lindberg, +10, $15,728

T-45: Laura Fuenfstueck, +10, $15,728

T-45: Georgia Hall, +10, $15,728

T-45: Amy Olson, +10, $15,728

T-45: Cheyenne Knight, +10, $15,728

T-45: Anne van Dam, +10, $15,728

T-51: Amy Yang, +11, $12,702

T-51: Carlota Ciganda, +11, $12,702

T-51: Bronte Law, +11, $12,702

T-51: Celine Herbin, +11, $12,702

T-51: Jenny Shin, +11, $12,702

T-56: Felicity Johnson, +12, $10,907

T-56: Julieta Granada, +12, $10,907

T-56: Moriya Jutanugarn, +12, $10,907

T-59: Gaby Lopez, +13, $9,384

T-59: Angel Yin, +13, $9,384

T-59: Morgan Pressel, +13, $9,384

T-59: Catriona Matthew, +13, $9,384

T-59: Nuria Iturrioz, +13, $9,384

T-64: Dottie Ardina, +14, $8,217

T-64: Maria Fernanda Torres, +14, $8,217

T-64: Nasa Hataoka, +14, $8,217

T-64: Emma Talley, +14, $8,217

T-64: Becky Morgan, +14, $8,217

69: Sandra Gal, +15, $7,544

70: Sarah Jane Smith, +17, $7,321

71: Johanna Gustavsson, +18, $5,546

T-72: Camilla Lennarth, +19, $5,358

T-72: Stephanie Kyriacou, +19, $5,358

74: Michele Thomson, +22, $5,171

The post Here’s the prize money payout for each golfer at the 2020 AIG Women’s British Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
“I almost quit playing last year.” That sentence might go down as one of the most unlikely ever to be spoken during an AIG Women’s British Open champion’s speech. But it’s Sophia Popov’s reality.

A battle with Lyme disease that went undiagnosed for three years and resulted in a 25-pound weight loss, and a game that wasn’t up to the standards she knew she was capable of left the 27-year-old German questioning whether she should continue on as a professional golfer. But Popov instead pushed forward into the 2020 season, believing that this is what she was meant to do. Now, all questions are answered: Popov is a major champion, Germany’s first female major winner, shooting a closing three-under 68 at Royal Troon (for a seven-under 277 total) to win by two over Jasmine Suwannapura.

In 2019, Popov lost her LPGA card, sending her back to the tour’s Q Series. But that didn’t go well. She missed getting her LPGA card by a shot, landing her on the Symetra Tour. At a time when she wanted to be moving forward with her career, it was a step backwards. Then the global pandemic hit, and the shortened Symetra and LPGA schedules resulted in the tour carrying over players’ 2020 status into 2021. Popov was suddenly looking at two seasons on Symetra. Unless, that is, something seemingly impossible happened, and she was able to win a major—one of only two ways to get from Symetra to LPGA for 2021.

Saying it was nearly impossible for Popov to win a major isn’t a comment on her game, it’s more about even getting into the tournament. Under normal, non-COVID-19 circumstances, Popov likely wouldn’t have been among the competitors at Royal Troon. Popov dominated the Cactus Tour with three wins during the pause in the Symetra Tour season. But she didn’t get into the field at the first LPGA event of the restart, last month’s Drive On Championship at Inverness Club in Ohio. She was at the event anyway, though, caddying for friend Anne van Dam. A week later at the Marathon LPGA Classic, Popov did get into the field, despite her low rank on the priority list.

“I think a lot of players didn’t want to come to the States, either from Europe or from Asia,” Popov explained as to why players lower than usual on the priority list got into the event. “I took advantage of it and used the opportunity to get here.”

Andrew Redington/R&A
Popov was able to handle the final-round nerves thanks to having her boyfriend, Maximilian Mehles, on the bag keeping her focused.

Her T-9 finish in the second Ohio event, Popov’s first top 10 ever on the LPGA Tour, got her into the field at the AIG Women’s British Open, just her 34th LPGA start since her rookie year in 2015. (But before flying over to Scotland, Popov finished second in one last Symetra Tour start.) She played well from the first round: She was T-2 after an opening 70 Thursday and remained there after a shooting a 72 on Friday, two rounds played in some of the most rainy, windy Scottish weather imaginable. A Saturday 67 leaped her into a three-stroke lead entering the final round.

Ranked No. 304 in the world at the start of the week, Popov started Sunday with a bogey on the first hole.

“I told my boyfriend, I said, ‘That’s all right. We’re going to make bogeys out here. It’s fine. But we have plenty of opportunities for birdies.’ And you know, the next hole, right away I hit it close,” Popov said.

She birdied that second hole. And the third. She never lost the lead.

When Popov talks about her boyfriend, she’s talking about her caddie, Maximilian Mehles, who she met while they were both on the German National team. They both played college golf in the U.S., Popov a member of the 2013 NCAA title team at USC, and Mehles at the University of Kentucky. His hopes of turning pro, like many graduating college seniors this year, have been complicated by COVID-19. But it allowed him to be on the bag for Popov.

And he proved valuable. Popov said he kept her calm throughout the tournament, especially the nervy final round. His chatter added brief reprieves from the task at hand— pointing out passing sailboats—and added an important dose of perspective to the day. Popov’s sister-in-law is expecting a baby, and they talked about her niece’s arrival frequently on Sunday.

“All we could think about today is what if my niece comes today,” Popov said. “We kept bringing it up again just to get my mind off of things because those are things, honestly, that are more important in a personal life, and that put golf into perspective. And what was on the line and I think that really helped me because I said no matter what happens today, I have this amazing gift of a niece coming and I’m so excited about that.”

Richard Heathcote/R&A
A birdie on the 15th on Sunday allowed Popov to carry a four-stroke cushion coming home.

Mehles was also helpful in the smaller details: “He told me to eat and drink, which I always forget,” Popov said, laughing.

Popov’s strategy was simple: hit fairways, hit greens, let the hot putter do its thing. It was a strategy she said she got from caddying for van Dam. Usually aggressive, Popov said she learned while being on the bag that aggressiveness doesn’t always make sense.

“There were maybe four or five [holes] where we said, All right, let’s go right at it. But all the others were just, you know, let’s play it a couple yards left or a couple yards right of the pin, and just give yourself opportunities,” Popov said. “I knew I could make a couple, if I keep giving myself 15- to 25-footers all day, a couple of them are going to fall and that’s what happened at the end, so I’m glad that worked out for me.”

Richard Heathcote/R&A
Popov’s emotions poured out on the 18th green as her amazing accomplishment went from dream to reality.

One of the most fun things to watch was how hard Popov kept swinging. Walking down 16 with a three-shot lead, she was still swinging like it was the first round and she had nothing to lose. In that moment, you’d expect a player brand new to the big moment to succumb to those natural feelings of wanting protect the lead, to gingerly coax the win in down the stretch. But that’s not Popov’s nature.

“When I get a little tentative, I hang them out to the right. I was like, OK, after I think 11, I said, No more of this. Just swing aggressively. You’re fine. Your misses are just barely right right now, which is great. You can just kind of be aggressive and let everything fall a little bit to the right,” Popov said. “I can just go after it, and I knew that’s the only way that it could work for today because every time I swing tentative, it’s not a good outcome, so that wasn’t an option.”

Her hard-swinging ways put her in the dream-like position of having three-putts on Troon’s 18th green to win. Her first put was, of course, right on line. But, it came up a couple inches short. Once she marked it, she started to cry. After the frustrations and fatigue of her first three years on tour unknowingly playing with Lyme disease, after losing and regaining her weight and strength, after losing her card, after thinking it was probably time to quit golf altogether, she clutched the AIG Women’s British Open trophy, validated in her decision to keep believing for just a little while longer.

The post Sophia Popov overcomes losing her LPGA card, long battle with Lyme disease to win AIG Women’s British Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
Yep, you’re seeing that image correctly. Lindsey Weaver opted for a pushcart instead of a caddie at the AIG Women’s British Open at Royal Troon. The 26-year-old, who played her rookie LPGA Tour season in 2018 and got her card back at Q school in 2019 for the 2020 season, usually hires local caddies. Part of the LPGA’s return protocols included disallowing local caddies. In conjunction with that, the tour allowed the option to not use a caddie at all. So now Weaver is out pushing her bag around Royal Troon, near the top of the leaderboard. She began the weekend one over, two shots off the lead, and was alone in fourth late in Saturday’s round, which included an incredible par.

But it’s not just about rolling the bag. Weaver is also raking her own bunkers, doing her own yardages, grabbing divots, reading putts, selecting clubs. Sure, these are all things any professional golfer is completely capable of doing, but when you’re out there having to do it all yourself, and you’re the only one doing it by yourself, whilst atop the leaderboard of a major, it can add up.

Weaver doesn’t seem to be feeling any heat, though. She’s comfortable doing it alone.

“I feel like it’s kind of back to the basics,” Weaver explained earlier in the week. “This is how junior golf was. This is how college golf was and on the Symetra Tour when I played there for a year. I mean, it’s still just golf. Like I’m still making the final decision at the end of the day.”

Richard Heathcote/R&A
Lindsey Weaver rakes her own bunker on the eighth hole during the third round of the AIG Women’s Open.

Though she appears to be comfortable with the pushcart instead of the caddie, there was one situation in the first round where a caddie might have been useful.

“I was in one bunker and my pushcart flew into another bunker and toppled over and I’m still trying to get a lot of the sand out of my bag,” Weaver said.

The cart flew away despite Weaver having set the brakes. She didn’t harbour any resentment towards the cart, though. It’s not the cart’s fault: it’s more than a decade old.

Weaver also didn’t get the pleasure of fist-bumping her caddie after her remarkable par.

The post LPGA Tour pro opts for pushcart instead of caddie at AIG Women’s British Open, is in contention appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
Sophia Popov’s season is going a lot better than it started. The 27-year-old German just missed getting her 2020 LPGA Tour card. Disappointed, she had to settle for Symetra Tour status. Now, she’s atop the leaderboard of the AIG Women’s British Open heading into Sunday’s final round at Royal Troon. In between that, a global pandemic hit, Symetra and LPGA events were cancelled, she played mini-tour events, and even caddied in an LPGA tournament.

The LPGA resumed with the Drive On Championship in Toledo, Ohio, after having to pause competition for five and a half months due to the spreading of COVID-19. Popov was at the event, but not as a player: She caddied for her best friend Anne van Dam. The following week, Popov got a start at the Marathon LPGA Classic, a surprise in itself.

“I was definitely shocked,” Popov said of getting into the field. “At the beginning, I didn’t even realise that we were going as far down as the Symetra fill, and so I didn’t even know, and I had other players telling me, Did you sign up, because I see some other Symetra players there, and I knew all right I’m No. 1 pretty much on the priority list. So if anyone gets in, it should be me.”

She took advantage of the spot in the field by finishing T-9. It was good enough to get her into the field for the Women’s British Open. While the majority of players in the Open field got on a charter and flew to Scotland to play in the Ladies Scottish Open last week, Popov hung back. She played a Symetra event that weekend instead and flew to Scotland afterwards.

Matthew Lewis/R&A
Sophia Popov plays her second shot on the 18th hole during the third round of the AIG Women’s Open.

“Honestly, for the status I have this year, I need to play Symetra events and I need to make sure I’m doing well with those, and so I didn’t want to miss too many events,” Popov explained.

She said she got one practice round in at Royal Troon and then shot a 1-under 70 to open the tournament to be in a tie for second. A one-over round on Friday kept her in that spot. Then her four-under 67 on Saturday, which included an eagle at the par-5 fourth, gave her a three-shot lead over Minjee Lee and Thidapa Suwannapura.

So how exactly does one go from caddie to major leader all within a month?

The caddying actually helped.

Gregory Shamus Anne van Dam plays a shot as her caddie Sophia Popov records the swing during a practice round prior to the LPGA Drive On Championship at Inverness Club.

“I did realise when I caddied for her, there are certain things about my game where I see similarities and course strategy-wise,” Popov said. “I think that helped me a lot. Because the next week,I thought about the course as a little bit more from a caddie perspective. I said, What is the smart decision to make here. You know, I’m someone who tends to be very aggressive. I go at pins. But do you have to be? No, not really. You can give yourself a lot of chances just with safer shots going for the middle of the green, and so definitely that helped me a lot. And I think just in general, Anne’s positive energy, I think she’s been a big influence on me the last like four or five months.”

Popov also had some positive reinforcement from playing mini-tour events. While the LPGA and Symetra tours were paused due to COVID-19, the Cactus Tour in Arizona was still playing. Popov lives in Arizona and credits getting to play in those tournaments as part of the reason for her strong play.

“I think I played eight or nine Cactus Tour events, and I won three of them,” Popov said. “So, for me, I did get a lot of confidence from that time, but it’s a mini tour. It was more competitive than it usually is, but you tee it back up on the LPGA and you’re like, let’s see where this goes because you just don’t know.”

She had no way of knowing how this unprecedented season would go or how sharp her upward trajectory would be. But now that she’s here leading a major, she knows she can handle it. The 304th-ranked player in the world can become the first German woman to win any major, and only the second German golfer to achieve the feat, following Martin Kaymer’s victories in the PGA Championship and U.S. Open.

“I was joking about it last week. I said, Well, you never know, maybe I can get myself in contention next week,” Popov said Saturday night. “Even though I was joking about it, I knew I’m capable of it.”

The post Sophia Popov goes from caddie to AIG Women’s British Open leader within a month appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
Hinako Shibuno became the LPGA Tour’s most unlikely winner of 2019 when she won the AIG Women’s British Open, her first-ever tournament outside of Japan. An instant crowd-favourite due to her bubbly on-course demeanour and constant smile, the 20-year-old rookie on the Japanese LPGA Tour didn’t instantly decide to take the option of joining the LPGA Tour as a major champ. But now, the November 18th deadline is approaching.

Shibuno is playing in her first LPGA event since her Open win in August at this week’s Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA. And in her pre-tournament press conference, she gave a surprising response to the question of accepting LPGA membership.

“I don’t think I have enough skills to play on the U.S. LPGA, and only my first year on the Japan Tour, so I think I need to play a few more years on the Japan Tour before going to the U.S.,” Shibuno said.

While it seems like someone who’s won a major should certainly be good enough to play on the LPGA Tour, Shibuno is taking a mature route, making sure that the win is demonstrative of where her game actually is before she puts herself in the position of having to perform on the LPGA Tour every week. If she sticks to her plan and doesn’t accept LPGA membership, her Open title gets her starts as a non-member in each of the LPGA’s five majors and the HSBC Women’s World Championship.

Since that victory in England, Shibuno has been playing in Japan, winning the Descente Ladies Tokai Classic for her third JLPGA title of 2019. She says that after capturing her first major, she can’t walk outside without being recognized. That will likely translate into big crowds in her home country when she makes her third LPGA start of the year at next week’s TOTO Japan Classic.

The post Why Women’s British Open winner Hinako Shibuno might not join LPGA Tour next season appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Roks was so into the event that he bought a Wake Forest golf shirt to match the one he knew I was bringing. And he drained the last five putts he looked at and we danced around the 18th green as we had just hit the lottery. Good times. Anyway, with a heavy heart, let’s turn to everything else happening in the world of golf.

WE’RE BUYING

J.T. Poston: What a performance by Poston, who is winning the Wyndham Championship matched Lee Trevino at the 1974 Greater New Orleans Open (now the Zurich Classic) by not making a single bogey for 72 holes and winning a PGA Tour event. Remarkable.

Streeter Lecka

A couple of weeks ago, a newspaper spelt his name wrong when he was leading the Barbasol Championship. And just a couple of years ago, Poston tweeted that he was mistaken for a valet at the Honda Classic and that he needed to play better. Now he’s hash-tagging tweets with “playED” better.

All I can say is WOW!! @PGATOUR winner!! What an unbelievable week in my backyard in NC!! Absolutely loved playing in front of so many familiar faces and to go 72 holes without a bogey. Don’t think I can dream it up any better than that #playedbetter

— J.T. Poston (@JT_ThePostman) August 5, 2019

Well played. By the way, J.T. Poston has a win this season while JT (Justin Thomas) remains winless. Golf is a crazy sport, huh?

Hinako Shibuno: Speaking of crazy, how about this 20-year-old Japanese golfer’s debut outside of her home country at the AIG Women’s British Open? A closing 20-foot birdie gave her a one-shot win over Lizette Salas at England’s Woburn Golf Club. And it’s a good thing it went in because it might have rolled to Scotland if it hadn’t hit the hole:

BANG ?

Hinako Shibuno, " The Smiling Cinderella" drills the back of the cup for birdie to win the 2019 @AIGWBO!

??? pic.twitter.com/2TztfpPT0p

— LPGA (@LPGA) August 4, 2019

Too bad Mike Breen wasn’t on the call … BANG! In addition to her superb play, Shibuno, who became just the second Japanese golfer to win a major championship, was praised for her pace of play and attitude. She’s nicknamed “the Smiling Cinderella,” and we are looking forward to seeing more of her in years to come.

“The Hovland Rule”: First of all, I’m buying Viktor Hovland, who continued his impressive play since turning pro after the U.S. Open with a fourth-place finish in Greensboro. But second, I’m into the new USGA rule clearly made with him in mind that will allow the reigning U.S. Amateur champ to turn pro and still keep his exemption into the U.S. Open the following year. Had Hovland’s T-13 at Pebble Beach counted toward his PGA Tour earnings, he would have still just missed wrapping up his card for next season (he is eligible to play in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals), but at least he would be roughly $250,000 richer. Hopefully, the Masters will allow its amateur qualifiers to turn pro as well, but it’s the Masters, and the people there do whatever they want, so they probably won’t. And again, it’s too bad the Hovland Rule won’t actually help Hovland.

WE’RE SELLING

Dumb penalties: Brendan Steele was docked two strokes for using an alignment stick during a round. This is dumb, A) Because alignment sticks are dumb in general and he could have just used a club or a regular stick instead, and B) Because how did he not realize instantly that using an alignment stick during a round is a penalty? Then there was Josh Teater, who picked up his ball in the fairway because lift, clean and place were used the first two rounds. More understandable, but again, dumb. Not that I should say anything like someone who once just scooped a ball up during a stroke-play event. Unfortunately for Steele and Teater, neither were able to climb into the top 125 and get into the FedEx Cup Playoffs. If they decide to play in the Korn Ferry Finals, we’re betting they won’t commit either of these infractions again.

Jordan Spieth: Seriously, what is going on? A 77 after putting himself in contention heading into the weekend? At the Wyndham Championship?! Why is Jordan Spieth even playing in the Wyndham Championship?!

Tyler Lecka

In any event, the struggle is real.

The Women’s British Open venue: I’m sure Woburn Golf Club is a fantastic track, but it seemed odd seeing a British Open being played on a course that looked like it was in central New York.

Richard Heathcote

Boring.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour’s top 125 head to Liberty National, AKA that place with the views of the Statue of Liberty, for the Northern Trust, the first of three FedEx Cup Playoff events. Yep, that’s three instead of the usual four. Another tweak? That bonus has been bumped up to $15 MILLION. For more about the postseason, check out this postseason preview from GolfDigest.com’s newest hire, Greg Gottfried.

Random tournament fact: Liberty National’s 13th hole was the site of Tiger Woods’ famously falling to his knees in pain at the 2013 (Is that enough 13s for you?) Barclays. It’s also the site of his ominous, “Yeah, definitely,” press conference at the 2017 Presidents Cup when he was asked if he could see a scenario in which he didn’t return to professional golf. Fingers crossed that he has a more positive outlook when he plays for the first time since saying, “I just want to go home,” after missing the cut at the Open last month. And in 2009, he missed a short birdie on the 72nd hole to lose to Heath Slocum, the No. 124 player in the FedEx Cup standings. In other words, this isn’t Tiger’s favourite place in the world.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0rTQAODPPW/?utm_source=ig_embed

What a year for the Woodlands.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (YOUNG STUDS DIVISION)

How about Matthew Wolff going full Sergio Garcia on this incredible approach shot?

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0yn3OuHm7V/?utm_source=ig_embed

To clarify, that’s going full GOOD Sergio Garcia. Not the videos of the Spaniard destroying golf courses and throwing golf clubs that have been going viral of late …

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (YOUNGER STUDS DIVISION)

https://twitter.com/Max_Marcovitch/status/1156232679450431493

SIX-foot-EIGHT at 14?! Good lord, what a beast this guy is going to be.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (EVEN YOUNGER STUDS DIVISION)

?HOLE-IN-ONE ALERT?

Congratulations to Kevin Zhang (10) from Clemmons, NC who made his very first hole-in-one during his very first PGA Jr. League match!! ?? pic.twitter.com/14OvaBuHV5

— PGA Jr. League (@PGAJrLeague) August 5, 2019

A hole-in-one at 10?! And I’m still waiting for my first? Must be nice, kid.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (OLD STUDS DIVISION)

Bernhard Langer has more trophies than you:

He also has a very understanding wife to let him just toss those trophies all over the house.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

J.T. Poston’s caddie, Aaron Flener, when learning his man is paired with Tiger Woods this week:

I’m having a little trouble breathing right now. pic.twitter.com/SMOLGetxih

— Aaron Flener (@AaronFlener) August 5, 2019

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

I know I need to let go of the past, but when you crush the past like this it can be hard to let go of it. pic.twitter.com/6jxJFL7KgV

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) August 4, 2019

Admittedly, I thought this was Dick Fowler, P.I., when I first saw it. But nope, it’s Phil. Wow. Just … wow.

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY BROOKS KOEPKA-JENA SIMS PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION SORCERY

Remember those white pants Jena ruined last week? Well, apparently, one of her friends saved them somehow:

Amazing.

THIS AND THAT

Congrats to NHL referee Garrett Rank, who won the prestigious Western Amateur. Rank also qualified for the 2018 U.S. Open. Talk about having some serious street cred at the next hockey game he officiates. … Congrats to Jake Beber-Frankel, the son of Oscar-winning director David Frankel, who broke Akshay Bhatia’s scoring record at the Junior PGA Championship. And now 6-foot-8 Tommy Morrison is coming for them. … Long Drive champ Maurice Allen hit one across Niagara Falls 14 years after John Daly failed to do so. To summarize: John Daly hits it hard, but Maurice Allen hits it harder. … And finally, one more shout-out to my fallen friend by looking back to when he won his second green jacket at the 2013 HGGA Championship:

Of course, that was the year he showed up to Myrtle Beach as a “16” handicap. The rest of us had no chance.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Which golfer has the biggest trophy collection?

Can Jena’s friend work on a couple of my golf shirts?

Do sandbaggers go to heaven? (Kidding, Roks. RIP buddy.)

The post A new rule comes too late, Matthew Wolff channels (good) Sergio Garcia, and Phil Mickelson’s groovy photo appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.