NANCY LOPEZ
Nancy Lopez draws many superlatives. She is
considered one of the best women ever to play the game and she
certainly is one of the most respected players of her
generation.
At age 50, Lopez has decided to make a
comeback starting with the Ginn OPEN. Although Lopez has played
in only 11 events since 2002 and hasn’t had top-10
finish since 1997, she believes she still has what it takes to
compete.
Lopez wasted no time becoming an
accomplished player. She picked up the game from her parents and
started playing at age 8. She won her first New Mexico Women’s
Amateur title at 12, achieving her first big goal in the
process. Lopez defended this title for the next two years and
also won the USGA Girls’ Junior Championship in 1972 and 1974.
At the University of Tulsa, Lopez won the AIAW National College
Championship and was named an All-American. After her sophomore
year, she decided to follow her dream of turning pro.
Lopez found instant success as a rookie. She
won nine times, including a record-setting five in a row (later
matched by Annika Sorenstam). That year she was rookie of the
year, player of the year and won the Vare Trophy, the only
player to have done this in the same season. The wins continued
to roll in the following season with eight in 1979 and one or
more wins each year except one until 1993. In all, Lopez has won
48 times with three of those being majors (the LPGA Championship
in 1978, ‘85 and ‘89).
About the only thing Lopez didn’t do was win
a U.S. Women’s Open, though she was a runner-up four times.
Lopez has been player of the year four times
and has won three Vare Trophies. She was inducted into the Hall
of Fame in 1987 when she was just 30 years old.
A highlight of Lopez’s career was captaining
the victorious U.S. Solheim Cup Team in 2005. With Lopez’s aid,
the Americans regained the cup from Europe with a three-point
victory.
That experience was the inspiration that
brought her back to the game after she announced in 2002 that
she would compete in just 14 events. The past couple years were
spent working to improve her health.
“I know I have to get in real good shape to
try to compete with the young girls, but I think I still have
the mental capacity to go out there and play good golf,” Lopez
said. “. . . it just motivated me to think maybe I can do it one
more time.”
— Amy Parker
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