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Lopez should hang 'em up
For many, life consists of 40 years in some dead-end, 9-to-5 job buoyed by dreams of the ultimate retirement: to play golf whenever and wherever one can, without much concern about the score. Maybe this is what Nancy Lopez is doing these days. Because the way the Hall of Famer has been playing of late, she might as well be retired. It's always a pleasure to see one of the legends of the game tee it up, but recently, Lopez's play has been so spotty that her nine-hole scores are coming closer to her age (44) than to par. Last week at the AFLAC Champions in Mobile, Ala., Lopez opened with a smooth 7-over 79. She did manage to best one player -- 45-year-old Amy Alcott. Don't get me wrong: I love Lopez -- who she is and what she has done for the game. No one deserved to be in the elite field more than she did. But perhaps it's time for Lopez to drive the carpool that takes her nine-year-old daughter and friends to dance class rather than the 13th green. Her last tour victory came more than four years ago; her last top-10 was a ninth in January 2000. This season Lopez hasn't been able to break the top 50. In 12 events, she has missed half the cuts, and her best finish in a full-field event was a tie for 63. At the AFLAC Lopez tied 61-year-old JoAnne Carner for 37th -- at 18 over par -- but there were only 40 players in the field. While some veterans, like Betsy King and Beth Daniel, have stayed competitive in their mid-40s, Lopez's poor play is aging her even more quickly. "I find myself getting older, and mentally I'm disappointed because I can't do some of the things I used to do," Lopez said. "It doesn't come back as quickly as it used to." Last month at the Williams Championship, in her old stomping grounds of Tulsa, Okla., it's surprising that Lopez did not go completely gray. She fired an opening-round score of 12-over 82 and teed off for the second round in the group with the highest scores after Day 1. "I always dreamed of being paired with Nancy, but I never imagined that I would shoot an 81 to make it happen," said a rookie who was one of Lopez's playing partners during the round. "I thought I would be nervous, but I found myself feeling sorry for her." On that Saturday morning, hours before the leaders had even rolled out of bed, Lopez was in the midst of another horrific day. On the 16th hole, after her tee shot pinballed through the trees, she was forced to play down an adjacent fairway. "Can I join you guys?" asked Lopez, passing another threesome on the 12th hole with her head down. Sure, Lopez has had some health problems in recent times -- including knee and gall bladder surgery -- but to playing this poorly has to hurt her psyche more than any physical ailment. Over the last couple of years, the LPGA has seen a real changing of the guard. Patty Sheehan, Pat Bradley and Hollis Stacy have not just faded off into the sunset, they have practically vanished off the face of the earth. Even though they are all exempt, only Sheehan (two events) has played at all this year. The three have found other interests -- business, family or just relaxation. Golf is the farthest thing from their minds. "I don't miss the grind of the tour one iota," said Stacy. "I never realized how much of a homebody I really was. Plus, I'm busy with some business ventures and it's a nice change of pace." Unfortunately, the talent of the tour has lapped Lopez faster than Jeff Gordon weaving through traffic after seeing the white flag. Her unorthodox, rodeo-loop swing, which looks like a cowboy trying to lasso a calf, no longer has the magic that it once possessed. Even non-golf fans are starting to take notice. Earlier this season at the Wegmans Rochester International, one fan, who admitted to knowing nothing about the game, made an acute observation. "Hey, Nancy, your swing doesn't stop at the top like it use to," the woman told Lopez while she waited to make the turn during the second round. "I know," admitted a humiliated Lopez. "If I could fix that I would be all right." Lopez is not living in a dream world. She acknowledges that her game isn't close to being up to par. During this frustrating period, she fired a caddie because he stayed positive although it was the farthest thing from the truth. "On every shot he kept saying, 'Good shot,'" Lopez said. "And it was driving me nuts because I had just hit it on the toe or the heel and the ball was 10 yards right or left of the pin. I would have rather him say, 'Oooh, you hit that one like crap.'" Lopez's recent struggles don't detract from her accomplishments and place in golf history. In fact, what she has accomplished is even more amazing when you consider that if you were to rank the best swings in the history of the tour, Lopez's wouldn't even be in the top 10. ( Mickey Wright is No. 1 in my book.) What made Lopez extraordinary was her desire, her heart and her feel for the game. Recently, she criticized big-bombing Brit Laura Davies because she hits too many 2-irons off the tee. "Laura would win more if she would use her driver more," Lopez said. "When I was in my prime I never laid up. I played aggressively. I played to win." With that said, the question of the hour is: What is Lopez playing for now? She doesn't need the money. She doesn't need the attention. Maybe it's for the love of the game, but it's definitely not to win. While no casino in the world would give odds, it's a safe bet that Lopez will never again come close to hoisting a trophy in an LPGA event. After playing in a charity pro-am last week in North Carolina, Lopez told a reporter that she understands her moment has passed, but she is not quite ready to call it quits. "The time went by too fast. I don't think I got to enjoy it. It's been almost 23 years now and the time has flown by," Lopez told The Charlotte Observer. "I'd like to have one more really solid year. I'd like to have a little bit of a comeback, if nothing else, to show myself I can do it. I believe I can." But Nancy, that means you need to practice. Without this renewed commitment, maybe you should just call it a career. If you want to make an announcement that next year will be your last, fantastic. That way, the tour and its fans could give you a proper sendoff that would make even Cal Ripken Jr. jealous. All I know is that golf fans want to be left with fond memories of a woman with the infectious smile, that unmatchable charisma, 48 victories and an illustrious career -- not of someone who couldn't make a cut. 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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