PRIDE OF A NATION

Gaby Lopez will be making her ninth start of the 2017 LPGA season this week in her hometown of Mexico City at the Lorena Ochoa Match Play. Mexico’s top-ranked female golfer has made the cut in five of her eight starts this year with a season-best T24 finish coming at the season-opening Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic.

The 23-year-old was granted a sponsor invite to come back to Mexico City to play at her home course in the event hosted by her childhood idol. Lopez will face a friendly foe on Thursday, going up against Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, who is staying at Gaby’s home this week, in the first round in the Se Ri Pak bracket.

“I am very happy to be back here in this course which I love so much, to represent Mexico, to see my friends and I feel honored to be able to represent my country and my family this week,” said Lopez, who attended the University of Arkansas.

A 2016 LPGA rookie, Lopez finished no worse than T26 in three appearances at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational as a stroke-play event.

CINDERELLA STORY?

As the lowest seed in the Lorena Ochoa Match Play, Mexico City’s own Ana Menendez has a tough draw going up against No. 1 overall seed and world No. 1 Lydia Ko in the first round on Thursday.

Menendez will attempt to shock the world and take down the 14-time LPGA champion in front of a hometown crowd at Club de Golf Mexico in just her second career LPGA start.

“For me, it is very exciting to play match play this year. It’s a great opportunity, and anything could happen. The course is in perfect condition,” said Menendez, who earned her sponsor invitation by winning a qualifier in Monterrey, Mexico, earlier this year. “My experience so far couldn’t be better. Today in the field I was thanking God to let me play a round with my best friend Gaby and with my idol Lorena Ochoa.”

The 25-year-old played collegiately at North Carolina State University and now plays primarily on the Ladies European Tour. She has 21 career starts on the LET and had a career-best T21 finish at the 2017 Lalla Meryem Cup in April.

QUICK HITS

Gaby Lopez’s second-round 65 (-7) at the 2016 Lorena Ochoa Invitational tied the lowest round of her career, which she previously shot at the 2016 LOTTE Championship.

Gaby Lopez has finished a career-best T11 twice – at the 2016 LPGA Volvik Championship and the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open.

Gaby Lopez is the highest-ranked Mexican player in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings at No. 98 (has been as high as No. 81 in her career). The next closest Mexican player is Alejandra Llaneza at No. 470. Lopez is one of two Mexican players in the field, alongside world No. 628 Ana Menendez.

Gaby Lopez represented Mexico in the 2016 Rio Olympics, finishing T31, alongside Alejandra Llaneza, who finished T44.

Ana Menendez is making her second career LPGA start this week – she previously missed the cut at the 2016 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.

QUOTABLE

“Moving to Mexico City was great. We feel that the golf course is amazing; it’s perfect for the LPGA. Now it’s the 10th anniversary, so we’ve come a long way because of the support of the sponsors, the fans, the media. I can tell you that golf is changing here. Now we have many, many little kids playing. We have more than 100 players playing in the United States for college golf, girls or boys, and that’s a huge step. So we’ll see I think more professionals in the future in better positions.”

“I’ve been practicing a little bit just because I know that I have this (Hall of Fame) exhibition. Last year, I only played a couple of times, so if you think about it I’ve been playing for the last three or four weeks. My brother is telling me, ‘You’re too serious! You’re practicing too much!” and maybe I’m going to get tired. It’s all about just getting that feeling back and feeling comfortable. I don’t know how it’s going to be if it’s crowded, how I’m going to feel playing in front of people. As of today, I’m really happy, I feel fine, I feel strong. I’m hitting the ball okay and hopefully we make some birdies.”

- Tournament host and 27-time LPGA Tour winner Lorena Ochoa, who will be enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame in September

Pride of a Nation and More from Mexico

Related Articles