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BLUE BAY LPGA

October 22, 2016

Gaby Lopez

Hainan Island, China

Q. You've had a really good rookie year, you tied for 11th at the U.S. Women's Open. Can you just run us through what the year has been like for you, your first year on Tour?
GABY LOPEZ: My first year, it's been a dream come true. I've always dreamed of playing against the best players in the world and being one of them but my ultimate goal this year was playing the Olympics.

So that's actually the reason why I turned professional in December. I was in Arkansas playing for the Razorbacks for 3 1/2 years. I saw the opportunity of playing the Olympics for MÃ©xico and the easiest way was to turn pro and play LPGA events.

So I was actually really lucky to accomplish that goal to get my card through Q-School, fully exempt. You know, I've worked so hard, all year long, and unfortunately a couple of months ago, I had a second-degree sprain in my ankle, so I actually had to stop for two weeks. Then I came to Korea with no hitting balls, so last week was a little bit off.

But it's been so fun. I love it out here. There are very nice people and I found great friends on Tour. My mom has been traveling with me; she's not here in Asia. But just having the right people and being surrounded with good personalities is actually what makes this life easier than it seems.

Q. You played over a hundred international tournaments as an amateur, but is it difficult, the first Asia Swing on the LPGA Tour to be so far away from home, new greens to get used to; what are the challenges for the first time around the Asia Swing?
GABY LOPEZ: I think it's just, like you said, adjusting to the grass of the greens, that's actually a big challenge. But you know, the thing is you're here by yourself so you've got to be a little bit more open-minded to tell everyone, "Hey, can I go eat dinner with you," just being a little more friendly. I think it's not only about golf; it's also about making relationships and friendships.

I find it very interesting, because you get to know different people that you might have thought that they are different. But also, I think one of the challenges is the food. So it's different countries, different continent, and we're very used to the peanut butter sandwich, we're used to the American-style kind of food.

I mean, the LPGA has done a great job with that, setting up the food, the restaurants and every hotel that we stay, this week, the Westin is unbelievable. I couldn't be in a better place. They treat us so well that we feel like home -- I feel like home. So it's not that far. I think that's one of the great thing that the LPGA has its unique stuff.

Q. And you probably heard that this week, Lorena Ochoa was invited into the Hall of Fame, as a fellow Mexican LPGA player, what does that mean to you?
GABY LOPEZ: It's a huge honor. I think it's about not only her as a player but her as a country. I've talked to many LPGA players right now currently and they still admire her, still respect her, because she was the No. 1 on the golf course and off the golf course. She was always very open-minded. She was very humble. She never lost her feet on the ground.

She was always trying to help, and I think one of the keys is she was also very inclusive with the course staff. In America, there's a lot of Mexican workers in the course and she would sit down with them and have lunch. She would make those things, and still being No. 1, I think it takes a huge effort to see that as a normal person, because they see you as the top.

It's been a huge honor. And right now this year, I've talked to her pretty much every week. She's been my mentor. Just her personality think is amazing, and having her close to me this year has made it so smoothly. So it's not that big of a transition, and I'm actually very happy that I get to play the Lorena Invitational in MÃ©xico, it's my home course. So I'm very, very excited to what's coming up for the LPGA schedule.

Q. What was your first interaction with Lorena Ochoa, do you remember?
GABY LOPEZ: My first was I played with her when I was 13. My mom knows her coach. So it's been -- I went to Guadalajara where she lived and I started playing with her. She said, you know, just keep working hard. There used to be a lot of LPGA -- like two or three LPGA tournaments in MÃ©xico, so everyone would go watch her. You know, just giving that smile to a little kid, to a little girl or giving her a signed ball, meant everything. And it meant everything to me. It meant the.

World. That actually kept me dreaming of playing here with the LPGA because I knew that was an awesome life, and just a role model. So that's one of the things that I want to do, the same thing. I want to try to impact little kids. That's one of the things that actually impacted me when I was growing up, and it takes me nothing. It takes me to sign a ball and take a picture with a little kid. I love my job and I love what I do, and I think it's worth sharing it.

Q. And so you're the only Mexican in the field this week and there's two active LPGA players from MÃ©xico, so there's room for growth. How do you foresee the growth of golf in MÃ©xico and bringing in more Mexican players into the LPGA?
GABY LOPEZ: I think Lorena opened the door just like Se Ri Pak did for Korea. And I know there's not a lot of Mexican players, but the very few, I think we have a nice potential and I think we can do very big things. It's going to take a little while. It not going to come from one day to another. It takes a process; it takes years, and having her next to us is going to make it easier.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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