Staff WriterKipp Popert is back at Wentworth Club next week, hunting down a fourth successive G4D Tour @ BMW PGA Championship title like a man who knows exactly where all the good hiding spots are.
The 27-year-old Englishman has owned this event since the G4D Tour began in 2022, and he’s showing no signs of loosening his grip.
Popert’s record at Wentworth is already the stuff of G4D folklore. Last year, he strolled off the West Course with rounds of 71-69 to win by four, and he arrives this time in even sharper form, fresh from bagging his 14th career title at the Amgen Irish Open just days ago.
“It’s a really special place,” Popert said. “I am delighted to be playing at Wentworth and in the G4D Tour BMW PGA.
“It is almost like a home event for me as I only live an hour or so away. Being a Liverpool FC fan, it feels to me like my Anfield in a way, and I love the course. My caddy and I study it closely and we know it like the backs of our hands.”
Back from the knife, back in the mix
Popert’s return this summer has been nothing short of remarkable. In January, he underwent his 12th surgery and spent months stuck on crutches, wondering if his luck had finally run dry. Yet here he is, not just competing but winning again.
“It’s great to feel fit again,” he said. “In January I had my 12th surgery and it was a slow four or five months on crutches and doctors’ appointments, and I was starting to think I was running out of luck.
“To then just make it to the US Adaptive Open in July and shoot 24-under to win it for the third successive time was a dream; to feel the pressure and excitement again like that is what keeps you going through the tough times.”
That “pressure and excitement” was back in full view earlier this week when Popert fired a superb 68 at The K Club to win on his first start since the operation. If that wasn’t a warning shot to the field at Wentworth, then nothing is.
“Preparation has gone very well,” he added. “I’m loving playing again and was delighted to win in Ireland this week. Trying to win at Wentworth again is really exciting and I love the pressure here, to have that target on my back if you like.”
A strong field awaits
This year’s G4D Tour @ BMW PGA Championship won’t be a victory parade, though. Popert will have to fend off a quality field, including Spain’s Juan Postigo Arce—back for a second crack at Wentworth—France’s Thomas Colombel, who nearly pulled off a shock at The G4D Open earlier this year, and Dutch standout Daphne van Houten, fresh off her women’s title at The G4D Open in May. American Ryanne Jackson also makes her Wentworth debut.
The full line-up reads:
- Kipp Popert (ENG)
- Chris Willis (CAN)
- Lachlan Wood (AUS)
- Mike Brown (ENG)
- Juan Postigo Arce (ESP)
- Daphne van Houten (NED)
- Issa Nlareb (ITA)
- Kurtis Barkley (CAN)
- Thomas Colombel (FRA)
- Ryanne Jackson (USA)
For Popert, though, the mission is clear: keep the crown, silence the doubters, and prove once again that he’s the man to beat when the G4D spotlight shines brightest.
“I love the buzz of these big tournaments and I have no doubt the week will be special,” he said.
Wentworth has been his fortress for three years running. Next week, we find out if Kipp Popert can make it four.
