Shots of the Championship

The 2020 AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon was packed with memorable moments.

Sophia Popov claimed a stunning triumph, winning by two strokes after leading throughout the final day, but the champion was certainly not the only player to shine.

A host of competitors produced shots to remember. We present six of the best.

6. Anna Nordqvist – Round Two, Hole 8

The Postage Stamp is Royal Troon’s most iconic hole and unsurprisingly played host to several of the championship’s most spectacular shots.

Nordqvist was able to claim a bonus birdie in round two after coming up short of the green, chipping in with a perfectly judged second shot.

5. Sophia Popov – Round Four, Hole 15

Popov’s final-day performance was truly outstanding and she took a giant stride towards victory at the 15th.

The leader enjoyed a good break off the tee as her drive narrowly missed a fairway bunker and found a decent lie in the rough. Popov capitalised superbly, hitting an excellent second shot to the front portion of the green. What is more, she converted the subsequent putt in style to extend her advantage.

4. Minjee Lee – Round Four, Hole 8

Minjee Lee hit arguably her worst shot of the final round off the tee at the Postage Stamp, but she responded with two of her very best.

After pulling her approach shot on to the steep grassy bank to the left of the green, Lee looked in serious danger of running up a high score. However, she somehow managed to find the narrow putting surface with a magnificent second that showcased an immaculate touch. Lee then rolled in a lengthy right-to-left putt to salvage the most unlikely of pars, and keep her in contention.

3. Kristen Gillman – Round Three, Hole 8

Nordqvist and Lee may have excelled with their second shots at the eighth, but Kristen Gillman almost holed out with her first as she put together a fantastic front nine in round three.

Gillman was already four under for the day through seven holes when she reached the Postage Stamp. Her tee shot secured a fifth birdie, but it was almost even better.

2. Lindsey Weaver – Round Three, Hole 12

Weaver, who captured plenty of attention courtesy of her decision to forego a caddie and push a trolley around Royal Troon, was firmly in the mix for three rounds of the championship.

Her personal highlight came at the 12th on Saturday as she turned a potential nightmare into a glorious triumph.

A wild approach shot left Weaver in an extremely awkward position, as she faced a shot from thick rough on a sandy dune. She was unable to escape from the dune at the first time of asking, but then produced a sensational recovery, somehow chipping in for par when it seemed as though getting up and down would be huge challenge.

1. Sophia Popov – Round Three, Hole 4

If one shot summed up Popov’s tremendous display throughout the week, it was surely her second to the fourth hole in round three.

Sitting just one shot off the lead, the German opted to go for the green with her driver from 258 yards, and her boldness was handsomely rewarded.

Popov struck a glorious draw and watched on in delight as the ball skipped on and came to rest around eight feet from the pin. She duly holed her putt for eagle and remained at the head of the field thereafter to secure a marvellous maiden major victory.