Nancy Lopez looking for one more win in Chick-fil-A

Posted 6:41AM on Tuesday 30th April 2002 ( 23 years ago )

STOCKBRIDGE - Nancy Lopez, who announced earlier this month that 2002 will be her final full-time season on the LPGA tour, hopes she has at least one more win left in her game. The Hall of Fame golfer will play this week at the Chick-fil-A Classic, where in 1997 she picked up the latest of her 48 tournament victories. To win, she will have to overcome other golfers and her own emotions. The Chick-fil-A Classic, which runs from Friday to Sunday at Eagle's Landing Country Club in Stockbridge, will be her first since the April 15 death of her father, Domingo, who passed away after a long illness. ``I sure would like to win one for him,'' Lopez told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an interview from her home in Albany. ``Maybe I needed a little motivation for this final year of competing. I know I'm going to work hard to do it.'' Lopez, 45, got some better news last week when she was offered a special exemption by the United States Golf Association to play in the U.S. Women's Open July 4-7 in Hutchinson, Kan. ``They asked me if I wanted to take it. Of course, I said, 'Yes,''' said Lopez. ``I think any LPGA Hall of Famer deserves a U.S. Open exemption, especially one that's still active. I hope the USGA will think about changing that. There's not that many Hall of Famers, and they bring so much to professional golf.'' Last year Lopez was not invited and tried unsuccessfully to qualify. ``The thing is, any normal player who plays week in and week out on tour, if they don't qualify or don't make it, they don't get chosen,'' Lopez said. ``But I think I was hurt by some of the comments of some of the officials the ones that said that I didn't deserve it.'' Also last week, Lopez was named the recipient of the Professional Golfers Association of America's 2002 First Lady of Golf Award. At the Stockbridge tournament, in which she is the host, Lopez will be playing for the first time since missing the cut at last month's Kraft Nabisco Championship. She said reports of her retirement were greatly exaggerated last month. She said it's more of a reduced schedule, one that may last for several years. ``I may just play five tournaments next year, but I'm not completely leaving. I didn't want anyone to use the word 'retire.' I still plan to participate in things.''

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/4/195314