Sophia Popov asked LPGA to clarify her status before playing, still had points stripped
Sophia Popov reached out to the LPGA in January to clarify her status after coming back from a medical and maternity leave. She received confirmation from the tour that her priority number of 57th was correct and she was good to go.
"Trusting that, I left my 20-month-old at home for two weeks to compete halfway across the world," Popov told Golfweek in a text on Saturday. "Two days ago I was notified about the administrative error and stripped of all my CME points earned this year."
The LPGA released a memo to players on Friday evening informing them of an error that resulted in Popov being placed in the wrong spot on the original 2025 Priority List. As a result, the major champion competed in three tournaments for which she was not otherwise qualified: Founders Cup, Honda LPGA Thailand and HSBC Women's World Championship.
To correct the error, the memo, written by Chief Tour Business and Operations Officer Ricki Lasky, said the member's CME points, earnings and Aon Risk Reward Challenge points will be removed from official standings.
"Even though I believe the right decisions were made," said Popov, "it is very frustrating that this error occurred, after I specifically reached out to clarify my status situation. It is very unfortunate for me and the girls that didn't get into these events and missed out on guaranteed points in Asia."
The HSBC and Thailand events are limited fields and don't have a cut. Popov earned a paycheck in all three starts as well as CME points, which determines a player's status for the season.
Popov said her priority number dropped from Category 1 (full card, 57th) to Category 19, which is Nos. 126 to 150 on the list. The German competed in 17 events in 2024 and finished 136th on the CME points list. She went to the final stage of LPGA Q-School in December and finished T-58th, which means she failed to improve her status.
Because Popov won the 2020 AIG Women's British Open, she's exempt into all the majors this year. She can't still play out of the winner's category, however, because she wasn't a tour member at the time she won at Royal Troon. That rule has since been changed to allow non-members who win majors a five-year exemption on tour.
The LPGA did not release the names of any of the players involved, but according to the Final Entry Lists for each of the events in question, the three players listed as the first alternate for each field include Saki Baba (Founders Cup), Hira Naveed (Thailand LPGA) and Peiyun Chien (HSBC).
Baba, the 2022 U.S. Women's Amateur champion, posted a note on Instagram Saturday that said, "In golf, you have to accept bad luck and mistakes as part of the game. But I believe that opportunities will always come around again."
A rookie on the LPGA, Baba has reed it up once so far this season in China at the Blue Bay LPGA, where she took a share of 17th.
An LPGA official said the error was discovered during the review of another member's maternity leave.
"We will share more details as we work internally to best remedy the situation for the three players who were inadvertently impacted and left out of these tournament fields," said Lasky. "We apologize to those that have been directly affected and sincerely regret the error."
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Sophia Popov responds to LPGA error that stripped her earnings, points
-
LPGA player Charley Hull makes 10 grand bet that she won't touch a cigarette for 2 months
Hull went viral last summer after signing autographs at the U.S. Women's Open with a cigarette in her mouth.Yahoo Sports - 6d -
My Mother Is Punishing Me for Not Coming Out to Her Sooner. Help!
A young reader variously subjected to cruel words and the silent treatment is reaching the end of her rope with her mother, who has portrayed her daughter’s coming out as deceit.The New York Times - Mar. 12 -
Columbia student who had visa suddenly revoked shares fears, says she hopes to clear her name
PhD candidate and Columbia student Ranjani Srinivasan says she fled from the U.S. after her student visa was suddenly revoked. The issue appeared to stem from last year's pro-Palestinian protests ...CBS News - 5d -
Dodgers' Mookie Betts still struggling with illness, status for opening day in doubt
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts is still struggling to recover from an illness, with manager Dave Roberts pessimistic that the eight-time All-Star will be ready for opening day against ...Yahoo Sports - Mar. 16 -
Dodgers' Mookie Betts still struggling with illness, status for opening day in doubt
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts is still struggling to recover from an illness, with manager Dave Roberts pessimistic that the eight-time All-Star will be ready for opening day against ...ABC News - Mar. 16 -
Mom trapped in her car after crash is rescued six days later
A woman who was trapped in her car after a crash in Newton County, Indiana, was rescued nearly a week later. Brieonna Cassell had two broken legs and couldn't get out. She had to use her sweater to ...CBS News - Mar. 13 -
Serena Williams’ return to Indian Wells after 14-year tennis boycott: ‘Her family had been vindicated’
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — A decade on, it’s not the tension they remember most. It’s not the fear that after 14 years of anger and hurt, after all the attempts at rapprochement between the BNP Paribas ...Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14 -
NASCAR clarifies rule on pitting in another team's stall
NASCAR's reaction comes after Christopher Bell stopped in a teammate's stall to tighten a loose wheel last weekend at Las Vegas.Yahoo Sports - 3d -
What will Dawn Staley wear for Women's March Madness opener? Her players have thoughts
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley hasn't picked out her outfit for her Women's March Madness opener yet, but her players want to weigh in.Yahoo Sports - 3d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
March Madness: Dan Hurley heated at officiating after loss to Florida, tells Baylor, 'I hope they don't f*** you like they f***ed us'
Dan Hurley's colorful season as UConn's head coach has reached a fitting end.Yahoo Sports - 18m -
'That's all we did': Jimmy Butler opens up on Heat, Warriors trade
The Golden State Warriors have won 16 of 20 games since trading for Jimmy Butler, while the Heat are 4-17 in that span. Both teams play Tuesday.Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Ashlon Jackson leads Duke over Oregon 59-53 in 2nd round of the women's NCAA Tournament
Ashlon Jackson scored 14 of her 20 points in the third quarter to power No. 2 seed Duke to a 59-53 victory over 10th-seeded Oregon in the second round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Sunday. ...Yahoo Sports - 2h -
George Foreman’s life was extraordinary, and his transformation fit for a giant
It wasn’t the victories that ultimately came to define George Foreman’s life. It was the defeats and epiphanies and genuine convictions, the leaps of faith he took which came to define him. It was ...Yahoo Sports - 2h -
Predicting Jacksonville Jaguars' 2025 starting defense after free agency
With two new additions in the secondary, what does the Jaguars' projected starting defense for 2025 look like following free agency?Yahoo Sports - 8h
More in Sports
-
2025 Women's March Madness schedule, scores: Games, dates, locations, tip times, TV channels, bracket
The second round of the Big Dance is officially underwayCBS Sports - 23m -
UConn's historic NCAA Tournament run comes to an end, but Huskies go down swinging in honorable performance
Sunday's loss to Florida marked the first NCAA Tournament defeat for the Huskies in 1,102 daysCBS Sports - 25m -
Kentucky vs. Illinois odds, March Madness predictions: 2025 NCAA Tournament picks from proven model
The SportsLine Projection Model has revealed its Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Kentucky Wildcats picks for the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on SundayCBS Sports - 39m -
2025 March Madness live stream: NCAA Tournament TV schedule for second round, watch streaming online Sunday
What you need to know and how to watch Sunday's second-round action in the 2025 NCAA TournamentCBS Sports - 57m -
Poch: USMNT faces test of 'character' vs. Canada
USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino said that Sunday's third-place game in the Concacaf Nations League against Canada is a match where "we need to show character."ESPN - 1h