Players at the Lalla Aicha Tour School PQ A: Sophia Popov

Sophia Popov during her professional debut at the Ladies German Open Presented by Marriott

Sophia Popov is one of the forty professionals this week competing at the Lalla Aicha Tour School Pre- Qualifier A in Rabat. She has represented Germany many times during her amateur career, but she is born in the US and has dual citizenship. Her dad’s father is Bulgarian, so that’s where the name comes from and her grandparents live half in Bulgaria and half in Austria. She moved to Germany when she was four and lives 25 minutes from St Leon Rot, the 2015 Solheim Cup venue, in Weingarten, which is between Frankurt and Stuttgart. She has been a member of Golf club St Leon-Rot since 2005.

Among her achievements as amateur, Sophia specially highlights and recalls her time at the PING Junior Solheim Cup in 2009, playing for Europe, a 50 footer putt to win the European Championships in 2010 and when the German Team finished second at the World Championships in 2012.

Sophia waited to turn professional for four years, as she decided to complete her studies at the University of Southern California. She is now 21 and has already started her professional golf career with her debut at the Ladies German Open presented by Marriott past July. The University of Southern California graduate finished tied for 16th this year in her fourth appearance, first as pro, in this event.

Pre-Qualifier A will be played at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Blue Course, starting from October 30th – November 2nd. Find complete list of players here