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The going gets tough Lopez faces minor hurdle in pursuit of U.S. Open title
STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. -- At first glance, Nancy Lopez seems to have everything in life: 48 LPGA victories, a Hall of Fame career, three beautiful daughters, a loving husband and a warm home in Albany, Ga. But a closer look reveals one thing missing -- a U.S. Women's Open trophy on the mantle. Since she was 15, Lopez has been in search of the crown jewel of women's golf. Despite all of her accomplishments, this remains the only title that has eluded her. But some 29 years later, and well past her prime, the 44-year-old still has dreams of winning the national championship.
So, on Tuesday in Duluth, Ga., the most recognizable player in LPGA history will tee it up at The Standard Club, hoping to grab one of the 14 spots available at this site. While fans may think Lopez's having to qualify is an insult to her career, she says she doesn't mind. "The USGA has been very gracious in the past and given me numerous exemptions, so I can't be upset that I have to play my way into field this year," Lopez said. "And I badly want to play in the U.S. Open, so I am hoping to play well Tuesday." In January, when the application for the qualifier arrived in the mail, Lopez admitted feeling a little lost. Who could blame her? Since 1975, all she'd had to worry about was her first-round tee time. "I called my friend Kim Bauer, who has had to try to qualify numerous times, and asked, 'What do I do?" said Lopez, who hosted the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship last weekend. "This was something that was totally new. I had to try to figure out when I was going to play and where. But I never thought about not trying." Lopez isn't the first legend forced to earn her way into the U.S. Women's Open field. Last year, JoAnne Carner and three-time champion Hollis Stacy endured the 18-hole test. Two years ago, Hall of Famer Beth Daniel found herself in the same boat. "I sucked it up and went and qualified," said Daniel, who fired a 66 at the Austin qualifying site in 1999 to earn medalist honors. "It's hard to imagine that Nancy has to qualify, but [the USGA] has also given her more exemptions than any other player. So I think it's fair." Just mention the U.S. Open and Lopez starts to feel unnerved. Over the years, the pressure of trying to win one has resulted in much pain and heartache. "I think there are times when I walk away from the U.S. Open and I just really want to go slit my wrists because I'm so frustrated that I have played so poorly," said Lopez, who made the front pages of newspapers worldwide waving a white towel after missing the cut at Blackwolf Run in 1998. While she has played poorly at the Open of late -- missing the cut in three of her last five attempts -- Lopez has had some moments of brilliance. In 22 appearances, she has nine top-10 finishes, including four runner-up showings. Her first brush with history came in 1975 as a 16-year-old amateur -- when no one expected her to win. Her last was just four years ago at Pumpkin Ridge, where Alison Nicholas edged her by becoming the first woman to shoot four rounds in the 60s. While those are Lopez's happiest memories, her worst came in 1977 at Hazeltine Country Club. Not only did she let victory slip away, but she also experienced her most embarrassing moment. Lopez finished second to Stacy, but it wasn't because she three-putted the last hole or had a final-day collapse. Instead, her problem was a broken zipper on her pants. "It was so hard to concentrate," said Lopez. "I couldn't read my putts. I had to pin it together, and for a while the zipper stayed up. But then as soon as I bent over to read the putt, it split again. It was really awful, really uncomfortable." On Tuesday, Lopez will most likely feel uncomfortable again. But hopefully the only thing that will be open this time are a few mouths -- after she qualifies. Tom Hanson, a regular contributor to Sports Illustrated's Golf Plus section,
is a longtime caddie on the LPGA Tour. Click here
to send him a question or comment.
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