Park In-bee's Strong Finish "Tied 13th → 4th"... Popov Wins

2020 Season First Major AIG Women's Open Final Day 5-Under Par Daily Best, Popov Becomes First German Major Champion with '800 Million Won Jackpot'

Inbee Park surged to 4th place on the final day of the AIG Women's Open, leading with a daily best score of 5 under par.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] The fierce finishing power of 'Golf Queen' Park In-bee (32, KB Financial Group).

In the early morning of the 24th (Korean time) at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland (par 71, 6,649 yards), the final day of the first major of the 2020 LPGA Tour season, the AIG Women's Open (total prize money $4.5 million), Park shot a daily best 5-under par to rise to 4th place (1-under par 283). Although she failed to secure her second win following the Australian Women's Open in February, she entered the top 5 for the third time in her comeback after six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting from a tie for 13th place, 8 strokes behind, Park recorded 7 birdies and 2 bogeys. After exchanging a birdie on the 1st hole and a bogey on the 2nd hole (both par 4), she made 4 consecutive birdies from the 5th to the 8th holes, closing the gap to the leader to 4 strokes. However, a bogey on the 12th hole (par 4) halted her momentum. She added 2 more birdies on the 13th (par 4) and 17th holes (par 3), but there were not enough holes left to overturn the lead. Above all, her putting was outstanding with only 26 putts in the round, showing 'stingy putting'.

"Except for the first day (6-over par), overall it was good," said Park In-bee, adding, "I am satisfied with finishing rounds 2 to 4 well," and "especially glad that my putting touch came alive." About her husband Nam Ki-hyeop, who served as her caddie, she expressed gratitude, saying, "He worked hard in difficult situations," and "with a lot of help, I was able to achieve a good result." She will participate consecutively in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, which opens on the 28th at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas, USA.

Sofia Popov is smiling brightly while holding the trophy immediately after winning the AIG Women's Open. Photo by LPGA Tour website

World No. 304 Sofia Popov (Germany) shot 3-under par to claim victory by 2 strokes (7-under par 277). This is the first time a German player has won an LPGA major. She debuted in 2015 but ranked only 173rd in last year's money list, losing her tour card. This year, she has been playing on the Symetra Tour (the second-tier tour) and even worked as a caddie at last month's Drive On Championship. She earned her spot in this tournament dramatically by finishing 9th at the Marathon Classic.

It is truly a 'life turnaround.' She won her first major title and hit the jackpot of $675,000 (about 800 million KRW). Jasmine Suwannapura (Thailand) finished 2nd (5-under par 279), Minjee Lee (Australia) 3rd (3-under par 281), and Korea's Jeon In-ji (26, KB Financial Group) tied for 7th (2-over par 286). Lee Mi-hyang (27, Volvik) tied for 32nd (8-over par 292), and Yang Hee-young (31, Woori Financial Group) and Shin Ji-eun (28, Hanwha Q CELLS) tied for 51st (11-over par 295) to complete the tournament.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.