Sophia Popov became perhaps the best Cinderella story of the month — even the year? — when she won the AIG Women’s British Open at Royal Troon on Aug. 23.
She was a Symetra Tour member, having missed out on earning her full LPGA card by one shot at last fall’s Q-School. She gained late entry into the Women’s British Open courtesy of a top-10 finish at the Marathon LPGA Classic.
Popov rode it all the way to a trophy and career-changing perks. Her status as a non-member winner – and the current COVID climate – limits those, however.
When Popov won at Royal Troon, she was granted instant LPGA membership. According to Category 3 of the LPGA’s priority status document, any player who wins a major as an LPGA member secures status for the next five years.
Therein went the overlooked detail of Popov’s situation. She was not an LPGA member when she won, thus she went into Category 7 on the tour’s Priority List, which is for non-member wins. If she had been an LPGA member, she would have gone into Category 3, which is for major winners.
Thus, Popov will hold full LPGA membership through the completion of the 2021 season.
In addition to LPGA membership, another perk associated with winning the Women’s British Open comes in the form of major exemptions. Popov now has an unlimited exemption (at least through age 60) into the Women’s British Open and a five-year exemption into the tour’s other four majors.
But here’s the asterisk: She is not in the field at next month’s ANA Inspiration or the U.S. Women’s Open in December. Her five-year exemption into those events begins in 2020. That’s largely because the majors are out of order in 2020.
Popov is in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in October. That five-year exemption runs from 2020 through 2024.
LPGA commissioner Mike Whan addressed the Popov status issues on Friday in a video shot at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
A message from @LPGACommish Mike Whan ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/dthJSzq0jX
— LPGA (@LPGA) August 28, 2020
The ANA Inspiration field was finalized in March to make to sure that players who qualified into the ANA were secure. In doing so, anything that happened after the field was set would be addressed in later years.
“You don’t have to like that, you don’t have to agree with me on that,” Whan said. “But that way, from the very beginning we knew that a winner there was going to qualify for the 2021 ANA.”
As for limited membership, Whan points out it has happened before – and recently.
“I’ve been commissioner 11 years. I’ve seen plenty of non-member wins at majors,” Whan said. “And I’ve seen almost all of those non-members go onto long and storied careers on the LPGA.”
According to the LPGA, In Gee Chun (2015 U.S. Women’s Open) and Hyo Joo Kim (2014 Evian Championship) are among recent players who won a major championship and received a two-year LPGA membership. Hinako Shibuno (2019 AIG Women’s Open) would have received the same if she had accepted LPGA membership.
Whan said he would think harder about that situation in the off-season and whether it’s a regulation that needs an update. He would not, he said, change a regulation mid-season, “the Monday after an emotional win.”
Popov’s situation initially was reported by Golf.com on Friday. According to writer James Colgan, Popov was contacted by an LPGA official shortly after the trophy presentation at Royal Troon and informed she would not receive the five-year membership exemption.
“I definitely got a little bit frustrated about the whole thing,” Popov told Golf.com a couple of days after the Women’s British Open. “It’s tough because I feel like I deserve the full five years of exemption from the LPGA, but at the same time, I understand the regulations and the fact that they can’t change the rules for a certain player.”
Popov could potentially appeal the rule, an option other players have exercised in similar situations. Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson both used that avenue to gain LPGA membership after winning an LPGA event before they reached 18, the tour’s required age for membership.
[lawrence-related id=778062947,778062905,778062766]