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OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. — The Aramco Team Series – New York is two thirds of the way to completion, and the final round is sure to be full of excitement. Here are a few things to know heading into the final round.

World No. 1 in the lead

Nelly Korda’s name has been a fixture near the top of leaderboards in 2021, and this week at Glen Oaks Club is no different. The 23-year-old superstar holds a one-shot lead in the individual standings at the Aramco Series after rounds of 69 and 66 over the first 36 holes.

Through 15 holes in her second round, Korda was on pace to break Glen Oaks competitive course record of 64 as she sat at eight under walking to the 16th tee. However, bogeys on 16 and 18 coming home foiled her flawless round as she settled for 66 by day’s end.

Tomorrow, Korda will aim for her fifth worldwide win during the calendar year, and her second since ascending to world No. 1 in late June.

“I just need to go with the flow and stick with my game plan,” Korda said.

A repeat in the works?

Allison Lee notched her first professional victory just two months ago at the Aramco Team Series – Sotogrande, and she has a terrific opportunity tomorrow to capture No. 2 at the New York edition of the event. The 26-year-old is eight under through 36 holes, and trails leader Nelly Korda by just one shot.

Lee, a former top-25 player in the world, has struggled in recent years as she fell outside the top 200 in the world as recently as March of this year. However, she’s played strong over the latter half of the summer — including her win in Spain in August — as she looks to become the first two-time winner in the Aramco Team Series.

Major winner in the mix

Sophia Popov has not won since her out-of-nowhere triumph at the AIG Women’s Open last summer, but tomorrow she’ll have a chance to do just that. The German is T6 through 36 holes at Glen Oaks, just three shots behind Nelly Korda’s lead.

“I just need to stay aggressive,” Popov said. “Today in some key moments of the round I just wasn’t as aggressive as I feel like I should’ve been.”

After a bogey-free Day 1 at the Aramco Team Series, Popov was unable to keep bogeys off the card during Round 2. She made three bogeys and a double to go along with four birdies on Friday as she fired a 73.

Nonetheless, Popov is still within striking distance of Korda’s lead heading into the final round, and she’ll have an excellent opportunity to earn another victory tomorrow.

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The post Playing in a pro-am? Here’s some advice from top LPGA pros appeared first on Golf.

The post Playing in a pro-am? Here’s some advice from top LPGA pros appeared first on Golf.

OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. — Pro-ams are some of the coolest experiences a recreational golfer can have. Getting to tee it up on a pro-level tournament course with the best in the world? You won’t find that in your weekly skins game.

At this week’s Aramco Team Series, some lucky amateurs get to take the experience to the next level. Not only do they play alongside the top women in the world all weekend, but their score actually counts toward the team scores as well.

Instruction

Playing in front of the best in the world is already nerve-wracking, but doing so with stakes on the line? That’s a whole different type of pressure.

Luckily for the amateurs in this week’s field, the ladies on their teams have experience playing with recreational golfers in weekly pro-ams, so they’re experts on how to help keep them at ease.

At Glen Oaks Club this week, I asked some players what advice they have for their amateur playing partners. Here’s what they said.

Jessica Korda

“I would honestly say ‘We’re on the same team, so don’t suck.’ [laughs] It’ll be a fun day regardless. I know they’ll be nervous, but we’re nervous too. We’re playing for something bigger than us, especially in these team events. I know they’ll be getting some shots, so we’ll be relying on them, so ‘don’t suck,’ would be my best advice.”

Nelly Korda

“Just try to have fun. Try to enjoy the moment, it’s something very different and we’re all going to be nervous, because we’re not just playing for ourselves, we’re playing for our team too so it’ll be fun if we all keep it pretty light out there.”

Angel Yin

“When you play with amateurs in tournaments like this, they want to contribute and do well for the team, because they want us to do well. With that mindset, they want to do well so badly that sometimes it backfires and they get too tense and stressed out. I just want them to be relaxed. Sometimes they play it too safe because they think that if you play it safer there will be less mistakes. But at the end of the day, you can pull a 4-iron just as far as you can pull a driver. So just hit driver and get closer to the green so you have a chip. Just hit driver and be as aggressive as you want.”

Sophia Popov

“I try to talk with them about a lot of things that don’t pertain to golf. It’s important to get the feeling that you’re out there to have fun. That’s what this week is all about. Let’s just go out and have a good time. If we play well, we play well. If not, then it’s not a big deal. I just want to them to be in a good mood. That’ll help them play better. Don’t focus on the game too much, but instead just have some fun.”

Anne van Dam

“It’s important to be comfortable and talk with them. I try to compliment them when they hit a good shot and tell them it doesn’t matter if they hit a bad shot. Ask about their personal life and help them relax a little bit.”

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After a summer of nonstop action, the final major of the calendar year has arrived — the 2021 AIG Women’s Open. It’s sure to be an exciting way to close out a year of high-level golf. Here’s everything you need to know about the championship.

Players to watch

Nelly Korda

This summer will forever be known as the summer of Nelly Korda. After a disappointing missed cut at the U.S. Women’s Open, the 23-year-old revamped her putting stroke (as well as her mindset) and has been a dominant force ever since. She won her first major, ascended to world No. 1 and then added a gold medal to boot. Now, she’ll look to cap it off with a strong finish across the pond.

Korda has two top-15 finishes in the Women’s Open in her young career and, considering her form this summer, another finish near the top of the leaderboard is all but expected. Can she keep up her stellar form and put a bow on the summer of Nelly?

Sophia Popov

Oh, what a difference a year can make. Sophia Popov came to the Women’s Open last year as a journeywoman flying under the radar. She left as a major champion.

Popov is no longer an unknown and will have a target on her back this week as the defending champ. Her 2021 campaign has been solid, with three top 10s, including a runner-up at the LPGA Match Play at Shadow Creek, but she hasn’t been able to put it together in majors thus far, her best finish being a pair of T60s.

However, the young German has proven to be a formidable links player, and her patented controlled fade will serve her well in the firm and fast conditions. A repeat of last summer’s performance should surprise no one.

Lydia Ko

This season has seen quite a few comeback stories, and Lydia Ko’s is right on top of the list. Just as Jordan Spieth rediscovered his form this year, Ko has followed a similar trajectory. The 24-year-old got back in the winner’s circle at the Lotte Championship for her first win since 2018, and she’s missed just one cut this season.

The secret to her resurgence? Linking up with GOLF Top 100 Teacher Sean Foley. Since teaming up with Foley last summer, Ko has looked like a whole different player. All that’s left is getting back on top in a major. She’s been close in 2021, coming in second at the ANA Championship and finishing T6 at the Evian, but as a player of her caliber, trophies should soon follow.

The course

The Women’s Open heads to famed Carnoustie Golf Links. A mainstay in the Open Championship rota, the links first hosted the ladies at the 2011 Women’s Open; 10 years later, it’s back on the women’s docket.

Carnoustie has long been known as one of the most difficult courses in the Open Championship rota, and that theme should hold true this week for the women. With upwards of 112 bunkers on the course, trouble lurks on every hole — and the closing stretch is one of the most demanding in all of golf.

Jean van de Velde famously made a mess of the finishing hole in 1999 — including a wade into The Barry Burn — and Nos. 16 and 17 have some nastiness of their own. No lead is safe at Carnoustie, and the brutal finishing stretch should provide for high drama come Sunday.

How to watch

Coverage of the Women’s British Open will be available throughout the week on Golf Channel and NBC. You can find the full TV schedule below. (All times ET)

Thursday, Aug. 19: 6 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Golf Channel)

Friday, Aug. 20: 6 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Golf Channel)

Saturday, Aug. 21: 6 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Golf Channel)

Sunday, Aug. 22: 6 a.m. – 12 p.m. (Golf Channel), 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. (NBC)

How to bet on the AIG Women’s Open

Looking to make a (legal!) wager yourself? We teamed with BetMGM, and the online sportsbook is offering a “Bet $20 Win $100” promotion regardless of your wager’s outcome, as well as a “Risk-Free Bet” up to $1000.

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The post Why don’t more women use arm-lock putters? LPGA pros weigh in appeared first on Golf.

The post Why don’t more women use arm-lock putters? LPGA pros weigh in appeared first on Golf.

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Arm-lock putting has gained considerable popularity on the PGA Tour over the last few years and, of late, has even become a hot-button topic. However, in the ranks of the women’s game, the controversial technique is conspicuously absent.

Consider the scene at the opening round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Thursday. On the expansive putting green outside the clubhouse at Atlanta Athletic Club, countless players dotted the Bermuda surface as they prepped for their rounds. Arm-lock putters were mostly nonexistent.

“I think [it’s] because it’s fairly new,” mused Yealimi Noh, who fired a three-under 69 in Round 1, on the lack of arm-lock representation in the women’s game. She’s one of the rare players in the women’s game that embraces arm-lock putting.

Arm-lock putting has measured benefits on the greens and has been widely used on the PGA Tour since the anchoring ban in 2016. Instead of anchoring the club to the body, players instead lean the shaft into their lead arm and “lock” it into place. The result is face stabilization that is, as one GOLF Top 100 Teacher put it, “darn near idiot proof.”

“For me it was just kind of always my setup for putting. Bending down was a little harder for me,” Noh explained. “I have longer arms too, so the arm lock fit really well and looks natural … Some people don’t realize I’m using an arm lock, but it fits really well for my proportions of my body.”

It might be “idiot proof,” but that doesn’t mean the technique has permeated into the women’s game just yet. Noh pondered that she was the only player on the LPGA Tour to use the technique last season. But — slowly! — that trend is changing.

Three-time LPGA winner Christina Kim has recently been experimenting with arm-lock putting as well. Prior to last week’s Meijer LPGA Classic, she contacted a PXG rep and asked them to send one for her to try out.

“I’m just going to give it a try and see how it goes,” she said. “I’m willing to try any and everything available within the confines of the rules.”

As a self-proclaimed “golf nerd,” Kim follows the game closely. When she read the news that Xander Schauffele — who is one of the best putters in the world — was giving arm-lock putting a try, she decided to test it out.   

Putting

“The traditionalist in me is not necessarily happy with this concept of it,” Kim said. “But at the same time, it’s just an extended version of the wrist-locked putting, which has been deemed legal.”

The trend of sticking to traditional flatsticks might not be a decision to buck the latest technology, but rather because of lack of access. While equipment trucks on the men’s tour are outfitted with a bevy of equipment options, the spread for the women can be a bit sparse.

Defending Women’s Open champion Sophia Popov theorized that women don’t switch to arm-lock putters is because they are shorter — not off the tee, but in height.

“Most arm-lock putters I grab are built for guys,” Popov said. “They’re higher up, so it’s basically like a belly putter for me … I don’t even know a single girl out here that has played around with it or even tried it.”

Popov went on to say she didn’t know many women on the LPGA Tour who had struggled enough to consider an arm-lock putter. If it’s not broke, why fix it? Nelly Korda was much more to the point when posed a similar question.

“I think a majority of the girls out here are really great putters,” she joked after her round.

It’s impossible to pinpoint one reason for the arm-lock drought in the women’s game, but for now, one of the newest fads — and controversies — has yet to consume women’s golf.

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The post Finally at her first ANA Inspiration, major champ Sophia Popov already looks like she belongs appeared first on Golf.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — If you watch Sophia Popov walk the grounds of Mission Hills Country Club, she looks right at home. She walks with confidence. She hits the ball with confidence, too.  When she frames her go-to fade against the picturesque mountain background, the fact that she’s a major champion makes sense. She looks like she belongs.

Not too long ago though, Popov didn’t belong. Or at least, she wasn’t allowed.

Despite her improbable Women’s Open Championship victory last summer, Popov didn’t garner an invite to the 2020 edition of the ANA Inspiration. But she’s used to not being able to compete at golf’s first major — that was hardly the first time she’d been on the outside looking in at Mission Hills.

“I’ve been here a couple times to watch,” Popov told GOLF.com. “I’ve been here as an alternate and as a fan, so it’s nice to finally get to play in the event.”

At last, she belongs.

It’s amazing what becoming a major champion can do for your career. Prior to her win at Troon, Popov had just three wins as a professional, all coming on the lowly Cactus Tour. Now, she gets to tee it up on a weekly basis among the world’s best.

In the months following that career-changing win, the accomplishment still seemed too good to be true, almost dreamlike. We’re now seven months removed from that Cinderella story. The good vibes are still present, but that shiny newness has worn off.

“I’m not quite on cloud nine anymore,” Popov said. “I’m just looking forward to every week that’s ahead of me now and getting ready to defend the title.”

That doesn’t mean all the fun is over, though. With the trophy still in hand, she still takes it out from time to time to enjoy a nice cold beer from its spout.  

“I still think about [winning the Women’s Open] quite a bit,” Popov admitted. “I’m trying to enjoy it as long as I have the trophy still at home with me. But the time flies — it’s pretty crazy that it’s gone by so fast.”

No matter how that title defense goes, or how her first start at the ANA plays out, one thing is certain — Popov belongs.

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RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — This year, the ANA Inspiration is back in its typical place on the calendar. After a pandemic-induced schedule alteration pushed golf’s first major to September last year, the event is back in its spring time slot.

The temperatures won’t be quite as intense as they were last summer, but that doesn’t mean the climate is mild this time of year in the Southern California desert. Highs for the week will be in the upper 80s with humidity in the single digits. In the desert, hot and dry is par for the course.

With such arid conditions forecasted for the week, players will have to adjust their nutritional intake in order to keep themselves performing at a high level. And while their scores might be unattainable for the average golfer, you can still learn from the way they tackle golf in the extreme heat.

Here are five keys for playing in the heat, according to LPGA Tour players.

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Ed. note: GOLF senior writer Alan Shipnuck is counting down the six most impactful and enduring stories from a golf year that was at once weird and wonderful, unnerving and uplifting. 

Previously: The PGA Tour plays on | The young’uns are coming

***

In the wake of Sophia Popov’s stunning victory at the Women’s British Open, Cinderella’s name was commonly invoked, but that comparison hardly does justice to Popov. After all, the fictional heroine just had to mop a few floors and put up with a grouchy stepmom, which is a breeze next to the brutal realities Popov, 28, has had to overcome. 

Three years ago, this already slender athlete lost 25 pounds due to Lyme disease. Popov so struggled with her game and health that in 2019 she made only one cut on the LPGA and began contemplating another line of work. In fact, in the first half of 2020 she performed a couple of cameos as a caddie for her Dutch friend, Anne van Dam. Popov qualified for the Open only by finishing in the top 10 at Marathon LPGA Classic two weeks earlier. She didn’t actually know about the exemption until van Dam FaceTimed her with the news.

All of this was the backdrop to a win that was cinematic in its sweetness. 

Popov arrived at Royal Troon as the 304th-ranked player in the world, though that lowly number doesn’t entirely tell the story. The native of Weingarten, Germany, comes from athletic stock: Her mother, Claudia, was a top swimmer at Stanford while her father, Philip, was a standout field hockey player; brother Nicholas swam at Arizona. Sophia enjoyed a decorated amateur career and won five tournaments while at USC, tying the school record and leading the Trojans to the NCAA championship in 2013. 

Yet all the struggles that followed during her pro career had left Popov’s confidence battered. 

“The game can beat you up sometimes,” she said earlier this year. The revelation at Royal Troon was not just her fine play but also the poise and polish she displayed, especially after sleeping on a three-shot lead Saturday night, when she was one of only three players under par. Popov played her heart out during the final round, shooting a 68 that earned her a life-changing $675,000. (Her only big splurge in the aftermath was a Trackman, which she had long lusted after.)

Popov jumped 280 places in the World Ranking, but the feel-good story of the year quickly took an unexpected turn. Before Troon, Popov had lost her playing LPGA status and was thus considered a non-member. Therefore, her victory did not come with the standard five-year exemption to the tour. Popov was also excluded from the field of the year’s second major, the ANA Inspiration, as the field was frozen in the spring due to the pandemic-induced schedule change.

That the game’s newest sensation was excluded from such an important event because of an unfortunate technicality led to widespread umbrage. It wasn’t the last important tournament Popov would miss but she has handled the entire situation with an admirable grace and perspective. Near the end of the season Popov was asked if she had yet come to terms with the magnitude of her Open victory. 

“You know,” she said, “I feel like it’s never going to quite sink in.”

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HOUSTON — Sophia Popov knows she can win again — it’s funny what winning a major championship can do for your psyche.

Just four months ago, Popov was caddying in LPGA Tour events and playing on the Symetra Tour. Then one magical week at Royal Troon changed her life as she became the Women’s Open champion and the best story in golf this year. She’s still riding that high.

“I’m trying not to come down off of it — I quite like it,” Popov said.

Popov oozes confidence these days. You can tell by the way she walks, and talks, and hits the ball. Gone are the days of her wondering if she belongs among the game’s best. Now she knows she belongs.

She plays like it, too.

Popov opened the U.S. Women’s Open with a steady two-under 69 in Round 1. She made four birdies and two bogeys. More importantly, she avoided the big numbers that can sink anyone’s chances of winning on the biggest stage.

“Obviously pretty consistent. I hit a lot of good shots today,” Popov said. ” I scrambled really well. I could have avoided a couple mistakes, but I think overall it was just very solid, and I was making the putts that I had to.”

That’s the sign of a champion — getting it done when it matters most. Sure, it’s only Thursday. But many championships have been lost on Thursdays. Those clutch saves on a Thursday can be the difference come Sunday.

Popov used to show up to college tournaments knowing she could win. If she played to her ability, she knew she had the stuff to lift the trophy. Once she turned pro, that feeling got lost. Missed cuts and low status can do funny things to your head. But now, the feeling is back.

“It’s definitely a similar feeling,” she said. “Even though you’re teeing it up with the best players in the world, so you have to sometimes accept that there are girls going to be out there shooting low numbers on days that are not easy. But the feeling that I have is very similar to that college feeling that I used to have.”

So, what changed? Well, winning a major, for one. But her entire mindset has shifted from her early days as a pro. Popov admitted that she used to go out and feel like she was protecting. Trying to avoid mistakes and keep bogeys off the card. Now, she’s trying to make birdies and take it deep — the timidness is gone.

Her perspective has changed, too. As any good young pro, Popov is curious, and she soaks in the advice of those who’ve come before her. Humility is an important trait in a great champion.

“I’ve talked to players that have had a lot more success than I have, and they say, ‘You can’t place too much importance on every single shot,’” Popov said. “’Find your ball, hit it and move on.’ I think that was great advice.”

When you’re playing well, this game can feel simple. Popov is certainly making it look simple these days.

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NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Sophia Popov still hasn’t replied to all of the congratulatory texts. Six weeks later, she’s still working through her inboxes — texts, Facebook and WhatsApp, mainly — trying to respond to everyone who watched as she pulled off the impossible in Scotland. She estimates she had over 600 people reach out with well wishes.

Players like Popov aren’t supposed to win major championships. Before her win at the Women’s Open, she had just three professional wins — all coming on the Cactus Tour. (If you haven’t heard of the Cactus Tour, we forgive you. It’s a women’s mini tour operating out of Arizona.) But one magical week across the pond has, quite literally, changed her life.

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“It’s been crazy,” she said. “It’s been probably the coolest [six] weeks of my life. For me obviously it was an unexpected win, too.”

Now at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, she is one of the hottest names in the field. While most pre-tournament media availabilities last no longer than 10 or 15 minutes, Popov answered questions for nearly half an hour. Even if she’s new to the spotlight, she certainly seems comfortable in it.

And that confidence has bled into her psyche between the ropes as well. She’s always been a confident person — that much was clear in her eloquent media availability — but since her Troon triumph, she knows she belongs with the world’s best on the golf course.

“I feel more like a sense of belonging,” Popov said. “I can just go out and shoot low any day and be in the mix at any tournament now. I think that’s changed a lot for me.”

Although that belonging on the course, even after the win at the Women’s Open, is still a bit murky. At least, according to the LPGA Tour’s guidelines. Usually when a player wins a major, they earn LPGA status for five years. But because Popov was not an LPGA member at the time of her win, she was only granted two years of status. This news did not come to light until several days after her win, with many rushing to call out the perceived injustice.

“I definitely got a little bit frustrated about the whole thing,” Popov told GOLF.com at the time. “It’s tough because I feel like I deserve the full five years of exemption from the LPGA, but at the same time, I understand the regulations and the fact that they can’t change the rules for a certain player.”

Features

She also did not gain an invitation to the ANA Inspiration following the win. At least, not the 2020 edition. Because the event was shifted from the spring to the fall, the field was frozen month’s before Popov’s victory. So she’ll have to wait until 2021 to play the prestigious tournament at Mission Hills.

With that in mind, the Women’s PGA is the first major Popov will appear in since becoming a major champion. When she steps onto the first tee Thursday, the starter will announce her as a major winner. Six weeks ago, that seemed impossible — and Popov knows it.

“This is just my birthday present, my Christmas present, everything to myself,” Popov said. “I feel like it’s never going to quite sink in.”

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The post KPMG Women’s PGA has different look and feel, but field’s mission remains the same appeared first on Golf.

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NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship looks a little different this year.

Traditionally held in mid-summer, the 2020 edition has an early October date, with reds and yellows serving as a backdrop at Aronimink Golf Club instead of the normal summer green. Besides the foliage, the weather is another differing variable. Skirts have been shelved for pants and hats replaced by beanies as players deal with the cool Pennsylvania air each morning.

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But that chill won’t bother Sophia Popov, who won her first major in even brisker conditions at the Women’s Open in August. She’s used to the chill — battle-tested by it — although it does make the course play a bit longer than she’d like, as she discovered playing a bundled-up practice round on Tuesday.

“I was like, ‘I’m right back at Troon,'” she joked. “(It) felt pretty good to me, except for the fact that I was hitting like 3-hybrids into every green, and I was like, ‘This is a little bit exhausting.’ So I hope they might put up some tee boxes.”

It’s unlikely the PGA of America will move up the tees to coddle the competitors, so whoever comes out on top come Sunday will have to tame the 6,577-yard layout. The victor also will have to contend with another oddity — teeing off during the middle of the Sunday wave, as opposed to the traditional leaders-off-last tee times.

Because of the pandemic-induced delay to October, the Women’s PGA is fighting for eyeballs with more sports than normal. Football, baseball and basketball could conceivably have games Sunday, meaning golf got bumped earlier in the day, with coverage airing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Golf Channel and NBC. So, the PGA of America pivoted to make sure the leaders will have their entire final rounds broadcast.

“We feel it’s important that everyone watching the telecast will see the leaders play all 18 holes,” said Kerry Haigh, the chief championships officer of the PGA of America. “Although it’s a little different and out of the box, we as partners with the LPGA and KPMG are prepared to make those changes for what we think will be a greater and a better championship for everyone to observe.”

Even with all this 2020 strangeness changing the look and feel, some things will remain unchanged. Laura Davies will still be in the field. Though she hasn’t made a cut in the championship since 2015, the 57-year-old will be making her 33rd consecutive start. Being a two-time Women’s PGA champion has its perks.

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Other past champions will be in the field, too. Hannah Green is back to defend her title that she claimed at Hazeltine last summer. Although if she repeats as the champion, her final putt will be met with muted applause instead of thunderous roars. Like so many other events in sports, fans are not permitted on the grounds this week.

And while a win at this edition of the Women’s PGA might look different, the prestige is all the same. The winner still gets to add a major championship to her resume, and she’ll still cash a big check at week’s end (this year winner’s share is a tournament-record $645,000). Plus, there’s the hardware, a gleaming memento any champion can enjoy.

“I walked in and I saw the trophy and I looked for my name engraved on the side,” said Brooke Henderson, who won the event in 2016. “That was just a really cool moment for me.”

Different Women’s PGA, same career-changing title up for grabs. That’s enough to get any player excited.

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