HUTCHINSON, KANSAS - Nancy Lopez closed out another chapter in a remarkable career Friday. <br>
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Cheers rang in her ears and tears welled in her eyes as Lopez played for the 25th and final time in the U.S. Women's Open. It was one more stop on the farewell tour for one of the sport's most beloved and engaging players. <br>
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Her round of 79 at the Prairie Dunes Country Club left Lopez at 20-over 160 for the tournament, and she missed the cut by a wide margin. <br>
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And while it bothered Lopez to play so poorly, it didn't matter to those who applauded her. And applaud they did -- from the bleachers, from the hillsides, from the luxury suites and along the fairway. <br>
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The cheers reached a crescendo as Lopez walked up the 18th fairway. You would have thought she was winning the Open instead of leaving it. <br>
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The 45-year-old Lopez, who lives in Albany with husband Ray Knight, is in her 25th year on the LPGA Tour. She announced this spring that it would be her last as a full-time player. The last of her 48 tour wins came in 1997.
