Nancy Lopez

This article is about a female golfer. For the sociologist, see Nancy López .

Nancy Lopez
Personnel
Nation:	United States
Career data
Professional since:	1977
Tournament wins:	49
Major wins :	3 (1978, 1985, 1989)
Awards:	Vare Trophy (1978, 1979, 1985) World Golf Hall of Fame (1989) Bob Jones Award (1998) Old Tom Morris Award (2000) Patty Berg Award (2012)

Nancy Lopez (born January 6, 1957 in Torrance , California ) is an American professional golfer .

Lopez started playing golf as a young girl and became golfer of the decade after being voted Freshman of the Year in 1978. Lopez was named golfer of the year four times (1978-79, 1985 and 1988) by the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) and was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the age of 30. In 2002, Nancy Lopez retired from the LPGA, although she still plays tournaments occasionally.

She is the only player to be named both Freshman of the Year, Best Player of the Year award, and also won the Vare Trophy in one season (1978) . She was also honored with the Associated Press' Athlete of the Year award . In 1989 she was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame . After winning three events in a row, she won the Rolex Player of the Year award for the fourth time in her career in 1998 . She won the USGAS Bob Jones Prize in 1998 and was inducted into the Georgia Sport Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2003 she was listed by "Hispanic Business Magazine" as one of the 80 most famous Hispanic women and received the " Billie Jean King Contribution Award".

In 2005 she was the captain of the victorious "Solheim Cup team". In 2007 she won the ASAP Sport / Jim Murray Prize for her collaboration with the media.

She lives in Albanay , Georgia and married professional baseball player Ray Knight in 1982 . They have three daughters: Ashley (born 1983), Erinn (1986) and Torri (1991).

Sporting successes

• LPGA Tour Wins: 48
• LPGA Major Wins: 3rd
• Newcomer of the year: 1978
• Vare trophy: 1978, 1979, 1985
• Player of the Year: 1978, 1979, 1985, 1988
• LPGA, Leading Money Winner: 1978, 1979, 1985

See also

• List of winners of major golf tournaments (women)

Web links

• Your profile on the website of the LPGA Tour (Engl.)
• Nancy Lopez's résumé on golf.about.com
• Curriculum vitae ( memento of September 27, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) on Latino Sports Legends ( memento of January 6, 2014 in the Internet Archive )