The first Latina professional golfer, Lopez was winning statewide tournaments by the age of twelve. Following a string of victories in Girls’ and Junior titles, in 1978 she turned professional and won six consecutive tournaments including the Ladies Professional Golf Association Championship. She married Tim Melton, a television sportscaster but divorced him three years later. She then married Tray Knight, a third baseman for the Houston Astros. At the age of thirty, Lopez was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame. She remained a successful competitor in the profession. When she received the 2002 Professional Golfers’ Association of America’s First Lady of Golf Award, she stated, “I am at the beginning of a brand new chapter in my golf career.” LPGA website, considered her “one of the most influential women in sports and culture over the last quarter century.”

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Nancy Lopez The New York Times Images Videos