Cologne (SID) – Defending champion Sofia Popov (Saint Leon-Rot) failed on the cut at the British Open for professional golfers. The 28-year-old played a round of 75 in a Scottish carnosie on the second day and, as shared 77th, missed out on qualifying for the second half of the tournament by two strokes with a total of 147.

Popov, ranked 304th in the world rankings, surprisingly won the British Open in Troon/Scotland last year thanks to two excellent final rounds and was the first German to celebrate a major victory.

Like Popov, two-time Solheim Cup winner Caroline Mason (Gladbeck) was eliminated on Friday. Mason did even worse and finished with 152 strokes in a shared 126th after 79 on Friday. At the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Popov and Maison were each placed 40th.

Of the eight German players in the Carnoustie, only Leonie Harms (Stuttgart) qualified for the two final rounds. The 23-year-old dropped from eleventh to 31st on Friday, with 143 strokes behind leaders Mina Harige (USA) and Georgia Hall (England).