Q & A

By Ashley Mayo

updated 4:35 p.m. ET June 24, 2008

Nancy Lopez has finished runner-up in the U.S. Women's Open four times (1975, '77, '89 and '97). Ashley Mayo, associate editor for Golf for Women, spent a few minutes talking about this week's championship with Lopez.

In 1975, you finished second in the U.S. Women's Open as an amateur, but you never won it. How badly would you have liked to win the Open and why do you think you never grabbed it?

I always swore that if I won the U.S. Open, I would sleep on the green — lay there with my trophy — all night long! It's funny how things happen.

The first time I came in second was in 1975 in Atlantic City, when Sandra Palmer won. And I really played great. She was a baby and I had a chance to win it.

The next time I finished second was in Hazeltine against Hollis Stacy in 1977. The funny thing about that was in the final round I was wearing a pair of pants that had a zipper. Back in those days we had zippers that were plastic, and the one on my pants that day opened up on me. And this was during the final round of the U.S. Open — I couldn't even get down to putt because when I did, the zipper would go flying open! It became a really mental thing for me because I kept thinking about my zipper and that made me lose my focus. It ended up being really hard and frustrating. The third time was in 1989 — I finished runner-up to Betsy King at Indianwood.

The last one I could have won was the 1997 U.S. Open against Alison Nicholas. I really, truly thought the Open was mine, and it was devastating to come in second. That was the U.S. Open I really thought I was going to win, because I had worked out for two years — I was in great shape and strong. I had never felt so good and was not tired. Usually in the U.S. Open, you get tired because it's such a mental drain.

As I was playing the final round, I kept feeling that this was going to be my U.S. Open. I felt great, I played really well, but Alison kept playing better and she beat me. That was my most devastating second-place finish in a U.S. Open. It was just not meant to be, and it came down to the last putt.

After I finished second, it took me months to talk about the U.S. Open. I was just like "golly," and I would just start crying. It took me six or seven months before I could do an interview without crying. I have thought about it many, many times, but that second was just really hard to swallow. I really felt that was the last Open I could win. I gave my heart and soul to it through my physical conditioning. As I was getting older I realized that this was it — my last chance — so I put everything into it.

What are your thoughts on Michelle Wie qualifying for the championship?

I think it's great, I mean she is just really such a great player and I know that she has struggled for the last year. She must have felt a lot of pressure to have to qualify, so for her to do that successfully is great. I hope that she is turning it around and getting her game back and ordering her life and mind and her body. We need her out there on Tour. I just hope she can play well at the U.S. Open.

Do you think she will make the cut? Do you have any predictions about how she will play?

You know, it all really depends on the golf course. I don't know the golf course. Sometimes the golf course treats one player better than another. I know that there is going to be a lot of pressure on her to make the cut, both from herself and then of course, the outside pressure that will be there. But I wish her luck and I hope she plays well.

What do you think is working for her these days? She played well in Europe on the LET Tour and now she has qualified for the Open. What is different now?

I hope it is because she is focused on playing and competing on the women's tour and that she's making it her only goal. I hope that her goal is to really focus on working hard on getting back out there and playing on the LPGA Tour. I think it will really help her game to compete against the best players in women's golf. My dad always told me you get better playing with the best players, and I truly believe that this can happen.

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