Women's Golf Ascends During Trying Times
“Out of adversity comes opportunity,” Benjamin Franklin famously said. Well, maybe, just maybe, this global pandemic is proving to be a boon for women’s golf.
Back in June, Justin Rose and his wife, Kate, funded eight tournaments for women golfers in England. And just last week, the AIG Women’s Open was played at iconic Royal Troon. The event was rebranded, dropping “British” from the title, to reflect it’s growing stature and greater international appeal.
That other Open—the men’s Open—won’t be played this year. The R&A explained that the scale and requirements of the two events are quite different. Nevertheless, hats off to AIG for navigating the same issues and risks posed by the coronavirus pandemic, to make the AIG Women’s Open the first LPGA Tour major championship to be played this season.
Not all the big names were there, but golf enthusiasts still seemed to appreciate the significance of the event for women’s golf and enjoyed watching many top international players compete.
Those who tuned in—there were no spectators on the course—were richly rewarded by the Cinderella story that unfolded…
Three weeks earlier, Sophia Popov, a 27-year old German-American dual national, caddied for her friend Anne van Dam at the LPGA Drive On Championship in Toledo, Ohio. A week later, owing to the decision of many top international players not to travel to the US due to the pandemic, she competed in the LPGA Marathon Classic, where she tied for ninth place, earning a berth in the AIG Women’s Open.
For six years, since turning pro in 2014, she battled an undiagnosed illness with numerous debilitating symptoms that turned out to be Lyme disease. Last year, after missing the cut in seven of eight LPGA starts, she nearly quit. Entering the Open, she ranked number 304 in the world and had not won any major professional tournaments.
Starting the Open’s final round with a three-stroke lead, she bogeyed the first hole, bounced back with connective birdies on the next two holes, and finished strong to win the trophy, a $675,000 winners check—roughly six times her career earnings—and LPGA tour membership. "I honestly don't even know how to describe it in words," she said. “…It's a mix of just overexcitement and emotions, just all kinds of emotions, and I honestly can't quite believe it yet.”
She always believed she could overcome struggles and obstacles and compete with the best in the world. What a feel-good story for her and women’s golf, during these trying times. Bravo!
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