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Q&A LPGA Rookie of the Year, Player of


the Year honors and the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average, a feat that has yet to be equaled. Elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1987, Lopez finished her LPGA Tour career with 48 wins, including three majors. In 1998, Lopez received the USGA’s Bob Jones


Award for sportsmanship. In 2004, she became the first woman to receive the Francis Ouimet Award for lifelong contributions to the game. These days, along with competing on the Leg-


ends Tour, Lopez remains busy supporting a num- ber of charities. She regularly hosts the annual Ad- ventures in Movement (AIM) tournament, which supports adults and children with special needs. In 2015, she will release the book, ”The Course of My Life,”which details her journey in golf. NCGA Golf caught up with the mother of three as she was being honored at the Langley—A Trib- ute to Legends, an annual event supporting the Northern California PGA Foundation sponsored by Capital Insurance Group. Lopez and Patty Sheehan were the 2014 honorees.


–Jerry Stewart


You were one of the first females to play in the Cros- by Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. What are your memories of that? I was 15. Mr. Crosby invited me and another amateur (Beth Dan- iel) to play. My first practice round I played with Arnold Palmer and Mark McCor- mack. Playing with them was nerve wracking but also cool. I remember the wind was blowing. I hit driver on the 17th at Pebble Beach, and I didn’t get anywhere close to the green.


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Do you have any regrets on the golf course in your career? Is there any one shot you’d like to have back? The 1997 U.S. Women’s Open at Pumpkin Ridge (Lopez lost by one to England’s Alison Nicholas). On the 17th hole, I hooked my drive in the final round.


44 / NCGA.ORG / FALL 2014


I had absolutely no shot to the green. I had to punch out. I hit the punch shot into a bunker. That was the Open I could have won, but that was a mistake. I’d like to have that drive back.


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What can golf do to get more women in the game? I’m kind of on a mission to get more women to play. I’m doing more corporate events to get women to play. I recently did an event for Constellation Energy. They had 25 women, some of whom didn’t play. I asked why they didn’t all play. They said they didn’t have time. Well, they do have time. The thing is, you don’t have to play any amount of holes. You can go out and hit putts, balls on the range. Go out and enjoy the sun, the grass. Enjoy the quiet of life. We have to encourage


people to go out and enjoy the game, even if it’s just for a little while. My grand- daughter, Molly, I want her to just walk with me on the course. My dad used to tell me if I loved what I was do- ing, I’d be good at it. Golf is a sport you can enjoy for life.


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What is your dream four- some? My father Domingo,


Arnold Palmer, who I adore, and late President Gerald Ford. I always enjoyed play- ing with Ford. He had this thing about hitting specta- tors. One time I played with him and he didn’t hit anyone. I told him, ‘Mr. President, you played great.’ I would also maybe want to play with Tom Selleck. I’ve met him. I think he plays.


The mother of three is on a mission to get more women to play golf.


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