ESPN Golf Online: 1999 Women's U.S. Open: Lopez struggles to 76 in opening round

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Lopez struggles to 76 in opening round

Associated Press
WEST POINT, Miss. -- If only the scene can be replayed for Nancy Lopez on Sunday -- and for a different reason.

Despite the 76, Lopez believes she can make a run.
There Lopez was on the 18th hole of a U.S. Women's Open, pumping her fists in the air as a 12-foot birdie putt dropped into the cup.
But the reaction Thursday by Lopez at the end of her first round of the 54th Open was more of relief than celebration.
Lopez finished with an opening round 4-over 76 at Old Waverly Golf Club, a course where she believes she has her best chance to finally win an Open title. The birdie at No. 18 was her only one of the day.
"I'm confused. I've been hitting the ball well and putting well," said the 42-year-old Lopez, who had top-20 finishes in the two events leading up to her 23rd Open.
"That bothers me because I didn't feel nervous. I felt confident. I felt good, I felt excited. And when you don't play the way you feel, that confuses you a little bit. Maybe I need to feel really bad tomorrow."
It is no secret that Lopez would like to face the same scene at No. 18 on Sunday -- only this time celebrating that elusive Open title.
Despite the first-round 76 and ever-weakening knees, Lopez believes she can still make a run this year. The Hall of Famer with 48 career victories still feels good about her overall game.
And she knows the Old Waverly course probably better than anyone else in the field. She was part of the first official foursome to play there 11 years ago and is still an annual visitor.
"I have to forget today, try to shoot 4- or 5-under Friday and hit the way I've been hitting. I'm not going to let the U.S. Open get me," Lopez said.
Take away two double-bogeys and things wouldn't have been so bad Thursday.
At No. 4, a 390-yard par-4, Lopez hit a solid drive in the fairway. But her 6-iron approach landed in heavy rough to the right of the green. She had to punch a shot over a mound, and then three-putted from 20 feet.
After missing a 6-foot par putt at No. 5, Lopez had 10 straight pars. She ran into trouble again at the 388-yard 16th hole -- again with a bad approach shot after a good drive and another three-putt.
Her 9-iron approach at No. 16 came up short of the elevated, two-tier green. The third shot landed above the hole.
"Unfortunately I had two holes that just really kill you," Lopez said. "But I did feel good because I did birdie 18. That did make me feel like I was coming back. I have to take that attitude tomorrow and go out there and keep swinging."
And swinging harder with her irons.
Her husband, former major-league player and manager Ray Knight, told Lopez after the round that her iron swings were lazy.
"The last few weeks I have been playing well and made a lot of birdies. And today I had the opportunity to make a lot of birdies, but I didn't have the irons in my hand," Lopez said.