U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

June 6, 2026

Gaby Lopez

The Riviera Country Club

Flash Interview

Q. Gaby, 1-under 70. Let's start with the birdie on 17. We saw some emotion from you, got you to red figures, talk about that hole.

GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, hit a great tee shot. I wanted to draw my four hybrid to get it there, because I was a little tight on number. So I hit a draw hook four hybrid; I ended up left.

And then I was just trying to flop and hit like a bunker shot out of the rough and hit it up to three feet and made the putt.

So very happy with that to get some momentum back into the game.

Q. We've all been waiting to see how y'all would play number 10 and you did it pretty perfect. Walk us through that hole?

GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, on number 10 I was a little frustrated from the two bogeys on 8 and 9, because I felt that I was hitting the ball solid, I just got a bad kick on 9 and a bad chip on 8.

I just stood up there and I was like, man, I surrender action lime I'm going to hit it where I want. And I surrender, I'm not going to keep forcing things.

And I hit a perfect drive to the front of the green and I don't know one of those times when you feel you're going to make the putt and ended up going in.

So lucky and happy with that.

Q. When you look at this leaderboard it's bringing out an amazing crop of players. What is it about this setup and this golf course that's yielding so many top players?

GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, I feel that this golf course just it challenges every single part of your game. Off the tee, in the rough you got to read very well the lie, and you got to be very smart. You can't just short side yourself, because those collars on the greens are going to push the ball away.

So I feel that from all those three days I feel that today was one of the most solid days I felt out there. I didn't make many putts, but really happy to make the last one.

Q. I always love to ask about your yardage book. Can you just talk a little bit about that and how you feel you've embodied that this week and looking forward to tomorrow how you'll embody it?

GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, my yardage book, it says Chingona on the back side, and it's a funny word for badass in Spanish. And when I was growing up I did gymnastics and my dream was to become an Olympic gymnast, and my mom on the crowds would just yell, Vamos, Chingona. My mom is from the north side of the country and that's what -- they curse a little bit more than in the South and in central Mexico, so it just stuck to me.

And she's always been the one, the biggest cheerleader I have, and I give her all the credit and strength I have as a woman.

Q. What can you say about this challenge for you tomorrow? I mean, obviously if you win this tomorrow you're going to have out-dueled some of the best players in the world, so many major winners; what you what can you say about this opportunity that you have?

GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, I feel that it's, you know, the perfect position that I've been waiting for a long time. Clearly, no one knows what's going to happen tomorrow. The one thing that I got to stick to is to how much more commitment I can bring into every single shot. High level commitment and let it fly. Let it go.

Like don't try to control it, don't try to force it, be free out there and be brave.