Gaby Lopez isn’t letting a quarantine overwhelm her mindset as the pandemic has put a halt to golf around the globe.
Lopez, a 2020 LPGA Tour winner at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, talked with Michael Breed on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio’s A New Breed of Golf on a variety of topics, which included how she has been holding up in the past few weeks. She said she has been able to get out to an open course and follow social distancing guidelines. That has created a bit of normalcy while in Mexico, where she lives at the moment.
“Being able to practice a little bit, go to the golf course, and not only hit balls and swing, it has been the most exciting that has happened for me the last few weeks,” said Lopez. “I’m healthy. My family’s healthy. I’m just hoping we get through this as quick as possible.”
Before the break, Lopez won the season-opening event after battling through a two-day playoff against Nasa Hataoka. During these moments, Lopez draws on advice from a legend – her mentor and fellow countrywoman, Lorena Ochoa. The World Golf Hall of Fame member has made an extraordinary impact on the 26-year-old Lopez.
“She’s inspired me pretty much my whole life. She changed my trajectory to professional golf and I couldn’t be more thankful to her and her mentorship. She has been close to me the last few years. What she’s taught me the most is that she was very calm under any situation on the golf course,” said Lopez. “It sounds easy until you’re at the golf course or you’re on Tour, and you’re playing 28 tournaments. It’s good or it’s bad, and you just have to learn from your own mistakes and your own experience.”
As she indulged on her favorite athlete (Serena Williams) and her favorite family tradition (playing card games every time her family reunites), Lopez also explained to Breed how she stays sharp mentally as her career has grown on the LPGA Tour.
“I try to do a little bit of everything,” she said. “I do have a psychologist, I do read books, I do talk to Lorena. But I think the biggest thing for me has been being able to write down things physically. I’ve had a notebook since my first year of college. I write down everything that I think of or that I feel, or I fear. When I put everything on paper, I become conscious. I become aware of what I’m doing and what’s going on inside of me. I think that has been the most learning experience I’ve ever had in my life, to have a recording, to take control over what we have.
“I think it’s really important to write the good times and the bad times and learn from both, because once you overcome the bad times, you build confidence, and you can move forward easier.”
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