HILTON GRAND VACATIONS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 23, 2022

Gaby Lopez

Lake Nona Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Gaby Lopez. Assess your day.

GABY LOPEZ: It was very fun day, dealing with a lot of emotions. 99% of time I felt very calm. It was really tough overall because we didn't play the par-5s any good this week, and that probably took us out of the top of the leaderboard.

But overall I'm very, very excited for what this year has for me and my caddie, for my team. Probably my best golf is probably showing up very close to -- for the next couple months, so I'm very excited for that.

Q. Comments all week about you're noticeably longer. What have you done to get noticeably longer?

GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, I've been training very hard in the gym with, being able to gain speed. I'm actually probably the strongest but the leanest I've ever been, so I feel like I'm skinny but I'm not that skinny.

Yeah, just working on the gym with Janke (phonetic), with Janet Alexander. Having my physios around me, just having a full team, TPI, everyone around me has helped me to gain speed. My coach has also told me that gaining speed is a matter of pressure and exactly timing in the downswing, so we been working a lot on the timing.

Know to press on the right time on my driver.

Q. I know there is some disappointment in not being able to close out this win, but what will you take forward to the rest of the season?

GABY LOPEZ: Oh, that I'm ready. I'm ready for any challenge out there. I'm ready to press the gas pedal down. I'm ready to be in contention more often. I'm ready for winning championships. I feel that I probably couldn't say this very confidently couple years ago, but now I do.

Q. What were your emotions in that birdie run of 5, 6 7? Did you feel pretty in control at that point?

GABY LOPEZ: I did. I mean, I felt very much in control pretty much all the round. I felt very in control of what happened here. I had a lot of fun with my caddie. I think that was probably one of the coolest things. I told him, I feel that it's Sunday with a Thursday feeling.

When you get to that point I feel that you start swinging more freely, just mattering your own golf. I feel that I've never experienced that in my own life, having a Sunday feeling like a Thursday, and I feel that we're turning in the right direction.

Q. Did 9 steal some momentum from you?

GABY LOPEZ: Not really. I mean, I came back with a good birdie on 11.

It was just a really bad - a very bad lie on the par-5 that I thought I was going to have a good lie. I mean, I ended up on the third shot in the terrible spot; I couldn't get it anywhere closer.

But, yeah, I mean, I almost made a probably 30-yard-foot putt on 16, and still, I'm a fighter, I'm going to fight until the end.

I don't have any regrets. I feel that I've learned a lot and I'm going to keep pushing.

Q. Quickly, you had a longer and probably more difficult up and down on the last hole. Nonetheless, Annika's was not simple. What do you think of what she was able to do there?

GABY LOPEZ: Oh, yes, she has those magic hands still in her body and within her. It was probably one of the biggest blessings being able to play with one of the greatest players of all-time, if not the greatest. Just sharing Sunday with a world No. 1.

And Annika is exactly what I'm working for, what I practice for, and this is exactly where I want to be.