Sophia Popov

She was born in Massachusetts but moved to Germany when she was four and grew up near St. Leon Rot in Germany, the site of the 2015 Solheim Cup. She holds dual German and American citizenship. She started playing golf at age 5. Credits her brother as the individual who influenced her career the most. Her mother, Claudia, was a top swimmer at Stanford, while her father, Philip Popov, was a first-division field hockey player. Popov was an accomplished amateur tennis player and swimmer in Germany before focusing on golf. Was a member of the 2009 European Junior Solheim Cup Team and represented Germany at the 2009 European Girls' Team Championships. She went to USC and played four years on the golf team; her five career victories are tied for most in program history, and the 72.71 career stroke average is second-best at USC. She finished as USC's career leader in rounds in the 60s (22). Finished her career at USC as only the program's second four-time All-American and was a member of USC's 2013 National Championship team. Upon graduation turned pro and finished T-11th at the Final Qualifying Tournament to earn priority category 12 status for the 2015 season.
2015 Notes: Unfortunately, she suffered from chronic lower abdominal and stomach issues and was only about 60-70 percent at the start of the year and for much of the season. The issues persisted, and it wasn't until three years later that she found out she had Lyme disease. Popov played in 10 events on the LPGA, making four cuts. Her best finish was T-41st at the Yokohama Tire LPGA. She also played in 8 events on the Ladies European Tour; her best finish was 13th at the Hero Women's Indian Open. The good news is that Popov had a really good winter break and figured some things out with her doctor back in Germany. To manage her condition, Popov has eliminated several things from her diet. She also works with a doctor from Arizona practicing homeopathic medicine. Her best moment of 2015 might have been the opportunity to be part of the Solheim Cup broadcast team on German television. She was a communications major at USC and hopes to work as a commentator one day.
2016 Notes: She is playing on the Symetra Tour and in 10 starts, had a pair of top-10s, was 2nd at the Chico's Patty Berg Memorial, and T-5th at the Island Resort Championship. Played once on the LPGA Tour, finishing 72nd at the U.S. Women's Open.
2017 Notes: Played in 20 Symetra Tour events, making 18 cuts. She was in the top 25 at 11 tournaments, including a season-best T-2nd at the Tullymore Classic. Finished T-32nd at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament to earn Priority List Category 17 for the 2018 LPGA Tour season.
2018 Notes: Played in 12 LPGA Tour events, making six cuts. She was 111th on the money list with $73,445 in earnings. She was 118th on the CME points list. Best finish T-13th at the Meijer LPGA Classic. She played in three Symetra Tour events, making three cuts, with her best finish a T-10th at the Symetra Classic.
2019 Notes: Played 13 Symetra Tour events, making 13 cuts and nine top-ten finishes. Was 25th on the money list with $50,098 in earnings. Best finish 4th at the IOA Golf Classic. On the LPGA Tour, played in 8 events, making only one cut, T-51st at the ShopRite Classic. She lost her LPGA Tour card and went to the LPGA Q-series, but it didn't go well as she missed a shot in getting her card.
2020 Notes: Played in 9 LPGA Tour events, making nine cuts.with two top-ten finishes. She was 77th on the money list with $120,674 in earnings. She was 82nd on the CME points list. She played in three Symetra Tour events, best finish T-2nd at the Founders Tribute at Longbow Golf Club. Didn't play in the first part of the LPGA Tour, but during the COVID-19 break, played the Cactus Tour and won three times, twice in April and once in May. When the LPGA Tour started in August, Popov didn't have a full-time LPGA Tour card, giving her limited options. In the first event, LPGA Drive On Championship Toledo, she didn't get to play and caddied for Anne Van Dam, who finished T-11th. She got to play in the Marathon Classic and finished T-9th, her first top-ten on the LPGA. With the good finish was given an exemption into the AIG Women's Open. Despite being 304th on the Rolex Rankings, she shot 67-68 over the weekend and won the event at Royal Troon by two shots over Jasmine Suwannapura. Only one player was ranked worst and won an LPGA event, Meaghan Francella was 332nd when she won the 2007 MasterCard Classic. She finished the year with a best finish of T-15th at the Pelican Women's Championship. Since Popov wasn't a member of the LPGA Tour when she won at Troon, she couldn't play the next week in Arkansas. She couldn't get other perks because she was still considered a "non-member." In February of 2021, they changed the rules to automatically get a Tour card and the other perks if a non-member wins a major.
2021 Notes: Played in 22 LPGA events, making 15 cuts with three top-ten finishes. She was 55th on the CME Points list and 57th on the money list, with earnings of $334,512. She started the season, finishing T-10th at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions. She was T-8th at the Gainbridge LPGA. At the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-play, Popov made it to the finals and lost to Ally Ewing 2 & 1 to finish 2nd. She was T-40th at the Tokyo Olympics as a member of Germany's women's golf team. She played in her first Solheim Cup team for Europe, with a 0-3-0 record. She lost her singles match to Megan Khang 3 & 2. Ended her season T-58th at the CME Group Tour Championship. On November 24th, she got married to her caddie, Maximilian Mehles.
2022 Notes: Played in 18 LPGA Tour events, making 7 cuts with one top-ten finish. She was 120th on the money list with $98,595 in earnings and was 122nd in CME points. Best finish T-10th at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational with partner Anne Van Dam. Her individual best finish was T-18th at the Hilton Tournament of Champions.
2023 Notes: She did not play on any tour in 2023; it was a combination of a shoulder injury and having her first child, her daughter Maya Mae, born on June 8, 2023.
2024 Notes: Popov returned to golf. Her first start was on the LET Aramco Team Series-Tampa, where she finished T-44th. On the LPGA Tour, her best finish before Scotland was T-14th at the Mizuho Americas Open. Played in 17 LPGA events, making 4 cuts. She was 115th on the money list, with earnings of $140,056.
2025 Notes: She won the Carlisle Arizona Women?s Golf Classic on the Epson Tour in May, beating Michelle Zhang by two strokes. Best finish on LPGA, T-18th at the Dow Championship with partner Pernilla Lindberg. Popov played in three tournaments before the LPGA realized a clerical error that placed her too high on the Priority List for those events, denying three other golfers to compete. Although she checked with the tour before being cleared to play in the tournaments, Popov was stripped of all her CME points she had earned in those tournaments.