Popov and DJ in leagues of their own

There are sporting shocks, and then there’s the World No. 304 winning a Major! Germany’s Sophia Popov finished on -7 at Royal Troon to claim victory at the AIG Women’s Open. Despite having never won on the LPGA or Ladies European Tour before, the 27-year-old fought off challenges from stars like World No. 8 Minjee Lee and seven-time Major Champion Inbee Park.She calmly held her nerve in the final round to win, but two things really stood out for me and I think we could all learn from them. Playing the 16th hole she was chatting away to her caddy and I am certainly not fluent in German, but it was obvious they were talking about nothing to do with golf. She had managed to switch off from the job in hand and then would refocus when she got to the  ball. I think it might have been Walter Hagen who said “You have to smell the roses” – it’s a lesson we can all take; you can’t concentrate for the whole round. The second point was when she was just short of the 18th green with a bunker to go over, out of bounds behind and the comfort of a three shot lead, out came the putter knowing that a three putt around the bunker got the job done. A good clam head even when she was in a position, she had never been in before. Great viewing and great lessons to learnt.

Meanwhile, on the PGA Tour, Dustin Johnson won The Northern Trust, the first FedEx Cup playoff event, by shooting a staggering -30. That ended up being an 11-stroke victory, which raises the age-old question of what’s more entertaining:

An all-out birdie fest or tough, battling golf?

Shooting these sort of scores requires immense confidence in your game. So, if there's a part of yours that you're particularly struggling with, send us a message below and we'll be happy to help.