Final Leaderboard:
-7 S Popov (GER); -5 J Suwannapura (THA); -3 M Lee (AUS); -1 I Park (KOR)
Selected others: +9 S Meadow (NIR), J Ewart Shadoff (ENG), M Reid (ENG); +10 G Hall (ENG); +13 C Matthew (SCO)
Sophia Popov, who had not won on the LET or LPGA Tour before this week, shot a three-under 68 to win her first major on seven-under.
Thailand's Jasmine Suwannapura shot 67 to finish second on four-under, two shots ahead of the World No. 8 Minjee Lee, who finished third after a 69. Seven-time major winner Inbee Park, who was the only other player to finish under par, shot a 66 to finish fourth on one-under.
It was a stunning victory by Popov, who is the lowest-ranked player to win a women's major and also the first German woman professional to do so.
The 27-year-old American-born German had missed out on a LPGA Tour card by a single shot last year and was facing another year on the 2nd-tier circuit after the cancellation of qualifying school due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dogged by illness over the last six-years, her only other professional wins have all come on the satellite Cactus Tour earlier this year.
She only secured her qualification for the AIG Women's Open with a top-ten finish at the Marathon Classic a fortnight ago and last week was playing on the Symetra Tour, the feeder circuit for the LPGA Tour.
As as she cradled the trophy and sobbed with tears of joy, Popov said:
"It feels amazing. There’s a lot of hard work behind it, and a lot of struggles that I went through the last six years, especially health-wise, and I’m just glad I was able to overcome everything and just keep my head in it."
"I almost quit playing last year. I'm so glad I didn't."
"I got here on Tuesday and I knew my game was in really good shape. I took that belief into every round but I didn't expect this. I was uber nervous the whole round. I was glad I could get it done."
Northern Ireland's Stephanie Meadow along with England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Mel Reid were the best of the Brits T39 on +9, one ahead of the 2018 champion, Georgia Hall on +10
As as she cradled the trophy and sobbed with tears of joy, Popov said:
"It feels amazing. There’s a lot of hard work behind it, and a lot of struggles that I went through the last six years, especially health-wise, and I’m just glad I was able to overcome everything and just keep my head in it."
"I almost quit playing last year. I'm so glad I didn't."
"I got here on Tuesday and I knew my game was in really good shape. I took that belief into every round but I didn't expect this. I was uber nervous the whole round. I was glad I could get it done."
Northern Ireland's Stephanie Meadow along with England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Mel Reid were the best of the Brits T39 on +9, one ahead of the 2018 champion, Georgia Hall on +10
Scotland's Catriona Matthew finished T59 on +13.
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