AIG Women's Open final leaderboard https://www.aigwomensopen.com/leaderboard
I haven't spent a Sunday morning watching women's golf in a long time. I sure am glad I did today.
Biased for sure as a Scot soaked in the wonderful tradition of links golf, knowing bad weather was in the forecast, and keen at first to see how Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp would do, I had no idea of the fairy tale that would evolve culminating I admit in tears of joy around 12.35est today at my humble abode.
First, Brooke picked a tough venue to return to the game after 5 months of COVID isolating and she like many posted +10 to miss the cut.
Alena on the other hand was superb, turning into a par machine through all the links could throw at her and finishing T22 +6 71 74 73 72.
Sophia Popov was almost completely unknown in this international field as of Thursday morning. 304th in the world, playing on the Cactus and Symetra tours, while caddying a little on the LPGA Tour, she squeaked into the Open with a 9th place finish 3 weeks ago in Ohio where the top 10 won an invitation due to COVID leaving spots open.
In the worst of the weather she emerged atop the Thursday leaderboard with a -1 70 so we saw for the first time this attractive blonde from Germany with the American accent from her days in California college and her US home in Arizona, with a beaming smile and big blue eyes.
Out on Friday again in the worst weather she went out like so many in +2 38, but battled back in 34 for 72, still among the leaders at E.
That got her a later tee time on Saturday, where the SW winds had turned to a gentle breeze and the sun came out with the tide. Here in my opinion she won the championship. A bogey free -4 67 with that shot of the year candidate, a driver off the deck to the par 5 4th to 12 feet and the ensuing eagle, followed by 2 birdies on the back nine, for a three shot lead at -4 which by now had us all in disbelief.
Today all the bad weather was long gone overnight, nearly flat calm, overcast, ideal for scoring and the stage was being set as she awaited her tee time with Minjee Lee.
In the previous 3 days she and her boyfriend / caddy had won our admiration, everyone loves the underdog, but how many thought her 304th ranking game would emerge, especially after she drove it into the fairway bunker on her opening hole for a resulting bogey !!
Links golf provides a style of play like no other, especially in the wind. Good looking drives can bounce lost into the bracken and heather, riveted bunkers can be impossible to advance from, flat lies are not the norm, so the drama builds as you hold your breath for the outcome of every shot.
Sophia never flinched, birdied the 2nd then 3rd for good measure and another at 6, out in -2 34 or -6 total.
Meanwhile while scores of 66, 67, 69 were being posted they couldn't close the gap on Sophia, they were too far back, which is why she won it on Saturday.
Tiny Thai, Jasmine Suwannapura whose driver seems as tall as her, made her run with 4 straight birdies from the 4th, out in 32 and just a shot behind at -5. However she stalled on the back nine, making bogey at 11 and 13 while Sophia was making pars. Jasmine made 2 more birdies at 16 and 17 but Sophia had made 2 of her own at 15 and 16 to get to -8 and all she needed was avoid a disaster at the last.
She laid up, putted on safely from the fairway, and left her 4th on the lip which she marked.... and the floodgates opened in the arms of her boyfriend, and around the world we shared her tears of joy.
More Cinderella stuff. First German female winner of a major, immediate full LPGA Tour status, 5 year exemption to all majors, $670,000 US, millions of dollars in endorsements....
This was the best sports story of this COVID summer, the stuff of fairy tales, and a page in history.
This first women's Open on a true links course at Royal Troon will be followed next year at Carnoustie.
Sophie will be back to defend her title as the "Champion Golfer of the Year" and the one who stole our hearts.
Bryan Angus
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