CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 17, 2023

Gaby Lopez

Tiburon Golf Club

Flash Interview

Q. All right, I'm with Gaby Lopez after an amazing bogey-free round here at the CME Group Tour Championship. Walk me through your round and the several birdies you had out there.

GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, something that I think I adjusted from last week and coming into this week was my wedge play. Wasn't that on pointe last week, so I just kind of focused a little bit more on that.

There is a lot of birdie chances, especially with how soft greens are. Yeah, I hit really good shot into 1.

Made some shot into 2.

I birdied probably the toughest pin on 4.

No. 7, 8, just hit it to three feet. Just kind of easy birdies.

But, yeah, just overall I think very solid. The golf course just kind of incites you to keep going, keep going. There is more and more ahead of you, birdie chances ahead of you, but you still got to be patient and play your shots.

Q. Being here this week, this isn't your first time here, but what's it like to be back here at Tiburon and be playing in the CME Group Tour Championship?

GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, I'm so grateful for the Duffy family. They have done an amazing job over so many years and continue to do. Next year is such a big bonus for all the players.

To me it's my eighth consecutive season playing the CME, so it really kind of motivates me to just keep working hard and being able to play within the best players of the world and be considered one of them.

It's just really cool to see all the little kids coming up. Once I was one of them, and having the opportunity to play CME and inspire the next generation is just I think the most amazing thing we can have.

Q. I was just tagging on that, just wondering what the locker room conversation was like, so to speak, after the $4 million announcement came out?

GABY LOPEZ: Incredible. Everyone was really surprised, because we thought it was going to bump up to three; then having a double prize money for winner is just huge. I think it also catches attention from the guys. They see that we're playing for some of the biggest purses that they play regularly, every week, right?

So it's just really awesome to see how just this sport and women's golf keeps continuing, and having Terry to really trust women, the opportunity to showcase not only a sport, but women itself, I think is just very powerful.

It's just empowering women through women, and him being able to believe in us, it's really cool to see how he's willing to look beyond just our face of the game. It's more of the women's side.

Q. And do you think -- I don't know if money comes into your mind now playing for $2 million top prize -- do you think that will change next year?

GABY LOPEZ: I mean, I think it would've been a bigger surprise this week. It does bring a little bit of probably the fact that you're playing for something a little bit bigger.

To be honest, I've given up so much trying to think about the place or the money. That just keeps you away from it. I just try to bubble myself into this Gaby World, and whatever it is, whatever my feelings, routines, processes take me to the end of the week, then if I'm committed to that, then I did a good job.

We'll see at the end of the day what happens with the positions, because the leaderboard changes so much through the week. It's just really hard to guess and really hard to put yourself ahead of what's going to happen on Sunday.

Yeah, just being patient overall.

Q. How did you get into golf?

GABY LOPEZ: I got into golf because of my dad. I grew up with twin brothers and my dad would just create this super healthy competition environment for me, and I think that's why I have the edge of like a little warrior inside of me. I would not give myself to my brothers that easily.

It is really cool to see I grew up with healthy competition and a lot of friends. So I got into golf when I was five. How old are you? You're eight. Great age. Just go out there, hit it as far as you can, enjoy yourself, climb the trees, grateful for whatever you. Golf course is a beautiful place.

Q. Saw you light up answering her question. What do think these interactions mean to you throughout your career?

GABY LOPEZ: They mean the whole thing. It means to the world to me to see the little kids and put the smile on them. I remember chasing Lorena, Annika, Suzann, Cristie Kerr, so many legends of the game.

Just to think that I can put a seed into one of them and dream of professional golf or something bigger than themselves, I think it's what it's all about. We have the responsibility to keep on growing the game. More importantly, keep touching their hearts.

I think that's exactly what we're trying to do. I love to sign a golf ball in the middle of the round and give it to just a little kid. That interaction gets this ah-ha moment. It's totally worth it.