Tag: Sophia Popov

LPGA major champion Sophia Popov makes debut as on-course reporter at CME

This is her first gig doing on-course work during a golf telecast.

NAPLES, Fla. — Sophia Popov woke up at 6 a.m. Thursday fired up to get to the first tee. She wasn’t nervous about the narrow opening shot at Tiburon Golf Club, however, because this time, she didn’t have to hit it.

Popov, 32, instead had on a headset as she went to work as an on-course commentator for the first time for ESPN. The 2020 AIG Women’s British Open champion is part of this week’s Featured Groups coverage at the LPGA’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. She has twice commentated in the booth for other networks during the 2015 and 2024 Solheim Cups.

CME Group Tour Championship: Leaderboard | Photos

“I’ve always thought about this as a career and I really want to do it,” said Popov, “and I think this is definitely where I see my future. But at the same time, I feel like my game has actually kind of come together towards the end of the year. I definitely would like to play another year and then kind of see how the year goes, and ease out of playing and more into broadcast and not make it a hard stop.”

CME Group Tour Championship 2024
Sophia Popov of Germany working for ESPN+ during the first round of the CME Group Tour Championship 2024 at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Popov gave birth to daughter Maya Mae Mehles in June 2023 and returned to the tour in March.

Will Haskett and Amanda Blumenherst are in the studio for this week’s Featured Groups coverage while Chantel McCabe joins Popov on the course.

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Sophia Popov, the first woman to win a major at Royal Troon, reminisces on a Cinderella run that began in Ohio

With the men’s British Open at Royal Troon this week, Popov DVR’d the action.

Four years ago, Sophia Popov tied for ninth at the Dana Open (then the Marathon LPGA Classic) and kickstarted a chain of events that changed her life. The top-10 finish in Sylvania, Ohio, qualified her for the 2020 AIG Women’s British Open at Royal Troon, where she shocked the world by becoming the first woman to hoist a major championship trophy at the historic club.

Popov, who didn’t even have LPGA status at the time, was ranked 304th in the world when she took the title in the midst of a global pandemic.

At this week’s Dana Open, 31-year-old Popov, now an LPGA mom, opened with a 1-under 70 at Highland Meadows Golf Club to trail co-leaders Paula Reto and Natthakritta Vongtaveelap by four.

With the men’s British Open back at Royal Troon, Popov DVR’d the action and looked forward to watching what she missed Thursday afternoon with her feet up in Ohio.

“When I had my membership induction and they gave me my locker, it was all pretty real at that point,” said Popov of making history at Troon. “Just to see that I’m the only woman in the lockerroom, it’s very, very cool. I think that’s why that place will always have a special place in my heart. No one can ever take that away.”

Sophia Popov
Sophia Popov holds up the trophy after winning the 2020 AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon. (R&A via Getty Images)

With no grandstands and no fans to wave to as Popov came up the 18th fairway at Royal Troon with a three-shot lead, she turned to her caddie, then boyfriend now husband Maximilian Mehles, and told him that the calming seaside views reminded her of a scene from “Lord of the Rings.”

The fact that Popov got into the event at all was the longest of long shots. In July 2020, the former USC player traveled to Toledo to caddie for good friend Anne van Dam at the Inverness Club in the tour’s first event back after the pandemic started.

Popov got into the next week’s field, the Marathon, because the tour filled out the field with Symetra Tour players after COVID-19 kept many international players from coming over. She and van Dam shared a pull cart that week because caddies weren’t mandatory.

“I kind of felt like back in the junior days or a college event,” she recalled. “I enjoyed it so much. I honestly didn’t even know it was a qualifier at the time.”

The winner of this week’s Dana Open will qualify for the AIG Women’s British Open at St. Andrews, Aug. 22-25. In addition, the top 25 players not already exempt from the 2024 LPGA Race to CME Globe Points List as of Monday will get into the field.

As a past champion, Popov will be able to compete in the British Open until the age of 60.

Can a mom win on the LPGA for the first time since 2020? A local mom is in position at the Ford Championship

The last mom to win on the LPGA was Stacy Lewis at the 2020 Scottish Open.

GILBERT, Ariz. — The last mom to win on the LPGA was Stacy Lewis at the 2020 Scottish Open. This week, there are 10 mothers teeing it up in the Ford Championship, the seventh tournament on the LPGA’s 2024 schedule.

That includes Lindsey Weaver-Wright, who played high school golf in Cave Creek, Arizona, and completed her college career at the University of Arizona.

Weaver-Wright is playing in her first LPGA event since she became a mom to son Crew on Dec. 17. She opened her week with a bogey-free, 4-under 68 at Seville Golf and Country Club, which is hosting the inaugural Ford Championship

“I didn’t really know what to expect, so I just went into the whole week with very little expectation,” she said. “Got a lot going on in my mind right now. Yeah, Crew was just, it’s so funny just getting his texts from daycare, updates after the round. I just love it. My husband is updating me and he gets all the notifications, too.”

Her last shot in her last tournament before taking leave last October was a hole-out eagle.

PHOTOS: Ford Championship

Weaver-Wright trails co-leader Azahara Munoz of Spain, one of three to shoot an 8-under 64 on Thursday, along with Gabi Ruffels and Isi Gabsa.

Other moms playing this week include Sophia Popov and Caroline Masson, who played as a parent for the first time a week ago as well as Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Mel Reid and Hee Young Park.

New moms Sophia Popov, Caroline Masson return to LPGA at Seri Pak Championship

Two new moms return to the LPGA this week at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship.

Two new moms return to the LPGA this week at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship.

Major champion Sophia Popov, who first took a medical leave in 2022 to heal her right shoulder and then extended the time off after learning she was pregnant, gave birth to daugther Maya Mehles last June.

Fellow German Caroline Masson, 34, and husband Jason McDede, who caddies for Nelly Korda, welcomed son Benton last April. Masson’s last LPGA event was the 2022 CME Group Tour Championship.

“For us to be able to do this,” said Masson, “the three of us go on the road and make new memories, start this new adventure together, was really cool.”

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Masson, who won her first LPGA title in 2016 at the Manulife, said she always had respect for the moms on tour but that it doubled or tripled in the last few months as she started to get back into golf shape.

Popov said that respect extends to female athletes across all sports.

“As an example, I was home over the summer,” said Popov. “I had just given birth in June. I was watching Wimbledon. I was watching Elina Svitolina come back and she was eight months postpartum and made it to the semifinals. I was sitting on the couch going, there is no way at eight months I’m going to be able to do this. Like I am just so out of shape.”

Popov, who stunned the golf world by winning the 2020 AIG Women’s British Open while competing on the Epson Tour, said even a basic core exercise was exhausting in those early months.

“I had a lot of ab separation, so you’re trying to get your abs back working, functioning,” she said. “You hit a golf ball and you’re like, man, I need my core a lot. I didn’t even realize that before. Like it comes naturally, and you take it for granted.”

Playing the tour as a mom takes a group effort. Masson’s son Benton joined the all-mom press conference in his stroller on Wednesday afternoon at Palos Verdes Golf Club.

While the physical challenges of coming back after giving birth are steep, the changed perspective offers a chance to hit refresh.

“It gets repetitive,” said Masson. “Year after year, you go to the same places. After a while you don’t appreciate it as much. So just to build up that excitement and putting in the work and seeing the process and really getting a little bit better every day and every week has been really fun preparing for this.”

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It’s easier now to remember what’s important, too, added Popov, who played two weeks ago on the LET in Florida.

“I love to hear the cooing, the sounds,” said Popov. “I really don’t care how you play golf, mom, as long as you feed me after the round, we’re all cool.”

Amateur Yana Wilson wins Cactus Tour event, beats former Women’s British Open champion

Not bad for an amateur.

Yana Wilson’s resume is one of the best in amateur golf. She added another spectacular achievement to it Thursday.

The Oregon signee won a Cactus Tour event at Sun City Country Club in Sun City, Arizona. Wilson shot 3-under 69 in the final round to take the top prize in the professional arena, beating former San Jose State golfer Antonia Malate by two shots.

More impressive was Wilson’s finish, where she birdied her final three holes and went 5-under 31 coming home to claim the trophy. She had 14 birdies in the 54-hole event.

Wilson also beat 2020 AIG Women’s Open champion Sophia Popov, who finished fourth six shots behind the amateur.

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Two summers ago, Wilson won the 2022 U.S. Girls’ Junior. Last year, she claimed medalist honors at the same tournament. Now, she has won a professional tournament before starting her college career.

AIG Women’s Open winner Sophia Popov announces she’s pregnant

Popov was on medical leave for her right shoulder when she learned an even longer break would be required.

It wasn’t long after Sophia Popov made the decision to take a medical leave for the rest of 2022 to heal her right shoulder that she learned an even longer break was now required as she and husband Maximilian Mehles are expecting their first child in June.

“Both of us are over the moon,” said Popov, who is staying with family in Germany and Austria through the end of the month. Mehles, a former Kentucky golfer who was on the bag when Popov won at Royal Troon, recently took a job in accounting.

Popov, 30, had an MRI done while at the AIG Women’s British Open last August and was diagnosed with supraspinatus tendinopathy, which is associated with impingement syndrome. She played one more time at the CP Women’s Open in late August before ultimately deciding that she needed time to heal. She immediately felt that a tremendous weight had been lifted.

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“All the stress was flowing out of my body,” said Popov, who found out in October that she was pregnant.

Diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis as a young woman, Popov said doctors have frequently told her over the years not to wait too long to have children. Both conditions can impact fertility.

“We kind of said, we don’t want to wait too long,” said Popov. “I don’t want to get into a situation where I’m under pressure.”

Seeing the recent success of moms like Stacy Lewis, who won after giving birth to daughter Chesnee, has bolstered Popov’s resolve to return to the tour, in 2024 at the latest. She can see herself playing some test events toward the end of 2023, possibly on the Ladies European Tour or Epson Tour.

The 2020 AIG Women’s British Open champion said she doesn’t want to return to the game until she’s fit and ready to go, noting that what traveling moms do on the road is “super underrated.”

Popov already knows that coming back to the LPGA as a mom will give her a whole new perspective on the game.

“We’re lucky enough in our sport to be able to do that,” said Popov. “Golfers often peak in their 30s or early 40s sometimes. It’s great also for your kid to see that that’s a possibility. You can be a high-performance athlete and do something at a high level, while traveling with your kid and showing them the world a little.”

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10 surprising players currently outside the cutline for CME Group Tour Championship, including three former No. 1s

With eight events left in the 2023 LPGA season, it’s crunch time for players needing to make a move.

With eight events left in the 2023 LPGA season, it’s crunch time for players needing to make a move. The top 60 players on the Race to CME Globe points list gain entry into the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, where anyone in the field can win the top prize in women’s golf of $2 million. The last player in this year’s field is guaranteed to make at least $40,000.

Last week’s winner, Ally Ewing, jumped from 71st to 30th with her victory in Cincinnati. Maria Fassi, who finished a career-best solo third, jumped from 96th to 67th, just outside the mark. The story around Fassi suddenly shifted from possible Q-Series to possible Tour Championship.

The top 100 on the CME points list keep their LPGA cards for 2023.

Sophia Popov caddies for boyfriend, Maximilian Mehles, as he earns medalist honors at U.S. Open qualifying

Popov caddied for good friend Anne van Dam shortly before winning the 2020 AIG Women’s British Open.

Major champ Sophia Popov played a practice round from around 7,400 yards at Andalusia Country Club in La Quinta, California, to prepare for her latest caddying gig for boyfriend Maximilian Mehles. She hit 5-iron and 3-iron into most holes, but getting a better idea of the lines off the tee proved valuable, she thought.

In the end, of course, Mehles had to hit the shots. And he hit two fewer than anyone else in the field to medal at U.S. Open qualifying. The Kentucky grad posted a flawless 6-under 66 with four birdies on his last five holes.

“I’m killing it,” joked Popov in regard to her legendary caddying resume. “I’m almost thinking about switching careers right now.”

Popov famously caddied for good friend Anne van Dam shortly before winning the 2020 AIG Women’s British Open while not a member of the LPGA. Mehles was on her bag that week at Royal Troon.

The couple spent most of Tuesday morning trying to figure out what they might do for sectional qualifying, which takes place on Monday, May 23, the week of the LPGA Bank of Hope Match Play event. Popov will need a good finish in next week’s Cognizant Founders Cup to play her way into the field. She advanced to the final match in 2021. With the match-play event starting on Wednesday, it would be tough to caddie in a 36-hole qualifier during such a grueling week ahead of a major. But then again, she’d love nothing more than to see Mehles achieve a dream of competing in the U.S. Open.

“For me, it’s going to be a really hard decision,” she said.

Mehles put his own competitive golf career on hold this year, choosing instead to caddie for Popov full time.

“I think he was playing super relaxed,” said Popov. “Sometimes at a Monday qualifier, you push yourself a little bit too hard. He kind of let all the birdies come to him rather than forcing the issue.”

Popov picked up the bag after a tough stretch on tour and noticed the casual way her beau went about his business. She also marveled at his wedge game, which sparkled despite little practice.

There’s always something to be learned from good golf, and Popov will feed off of Mehles’ good vibes heading into an important stretch. The 29-year-old USC grad said she knows that what’s off in her game is physical rather than mental, and she’s poised for everything to soon click. In the meantime, it’s been helpful to have her partner by her side.

“It’s always easy to vibe well with your caddie when you’re playing well,” she said. “But it’s when you’re in a little bit of a hole and trying to figure out your golf game, it’s important to have someone on the bag you really trust.”

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What if Tiger Woods really plays the 2022 Masters? Here’s what others in the golf world are saying

If Tiger returns, improbably, it will mark one of the greatest comebacks the game has ever seen.

Sure, the PGA Tour is in San Antonio this week, and we’re in the middle of the year’s first major on the LPGA schedule, but the eyes of the golf world have been squarely focused on one thing — will Tiger Woods play the 2022 Masters at Augusta National?

Although speculation has been rampant, no official word had been given by Friday morning.

But if Tiger returns, improbably, less than 14 months removed from a car crash that could have taken his life, it will mark one of the greatest comebacks the game has ever seen.

While others in the golf world have had plenty to keep them busy this week, almost everyone has had an opinion on Tiger and his potential return. Here’s a look at a few:

Sophia Popov, Brooke Henderson enjoy perks of playing close to home at LPGA Drive On Championship

“There is definitely pros and cons to both,” Henderson said.

For the second time in four months, Sophia Popov and Brooke Henderson get to sleep in their own beds and play golf.

Popov, who lives in Naples, and Henderson, who has had a residence in Miromar Lakes since 2017, enjoy not having to think about hotels and transportation for this week’s LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony Golf & Country Club in Fort Myers, which goes through Saturday.

In November, both played in the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburón Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples.

“There is definitely pros and cons to both,” Henderson said. “Sometimes when you’re staying at home you think, ‘Oh, it’s just an off week, it’s an off-season’, so you’re not maybe as focused, especially early in the week.”

Every other week on tour, they’re living out of a suitcase and either have a courtesy car or are taking shuttles to the course. All of that is different this week.