Sophia Popov

Sophia Popov wrote one of the most heart-warming, rags to riches stories in AIG Women’s Open history when she won the 2020 title at Royal Troon.

Ranked 304th in the world, and only in the field after qualifying through a good finish in the previous week’s Marathon Championship on the LPGA Tour, Popov defied the Women’s Rolex Rankings by running out a two-shot winner to become the first German to win a women’s major.

Popov, who began playing golf as a five-year-old, holds dual German and American citizenship and resides in Southern California following a successful career at the University of Southern California.

She was a four-time All-American at USC, where she racked up five victories, and played a part in Europe’s 2021 Solheim Cup win.

Popov returned to the LPGA Tour in March 2024 after giving birth to her first daughter, Maya Mae, the previous summer.