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A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 21 January 2020
Gaby Lopez wins LPGA tournament in Florida in 7-hole playoff

By JEFF BABINEAU ida weather, temperatures confidence in the play-
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. in the mid-40s greeted off. She entered the week
(AP) — Having already the women Monday and ranked 56th but now has
battled for five extra holes morning shadows covered momentum to start her fifth
into darkness without pro- the green as they returned LPGA season. In her first
ducing a champion a day to the 18th. The par 3 is long LPGA victory, the 2018 Blue
earlier, Gaby Lopez and and tough, with a deep Bay LPGA Championship
Nasa Hataoka showed up bunker in front and rocks in China, she had the lead
to work at 8 a.m., just like and water guarding the left and was grouped with the
regular folks. side of the green. Players world's top two players at
The early wake-up call and require hybrids and fairway the time, Ariya Jutanugarn
extra golf was worth it for metals to reach the green. and Sun Hyun Park. This
Lopez, who rolled in a 30- There were only six birdies time, victory took a differ-
foot birdie putt to prevail total made on the hole all ent route.
on the seventh playoff hole week; Lopez owned three "I proved to myself that I
Monday and capture the of them. can win in any situation,"
season-opening Diamond Hataoka had enjoyed her Lopez said. "My first win was
Resorts Tournament of week playing alongside in the lead. My second win
Champions. athletes and celebrities — was coming from behind.
It was the second LPGA title the 49-player celebrity di- And being able to put all
for Lopez, who 14 months vision was won by pitcher those moments together
ago became the second and Hall of Famer John and recall them while I'm
player from Mexico to Smoltz. But the pressure walking on the fairway
win on tour, joining World amped up once the play- here and try to stay patient.
Golf Hall of Fame member off began. That's what I proved to my-
Lorena Ochoa. She earned Gaby Lopez holds the trophy after winning the Tournament of "Being a celebrity pro-am, I self the most, my ability to
$180,000 for the victory. Champions LPGA golf tournament, Monday, Jan. 20, 2020, in thought I was going to just stay in the moment."
The elite field featured 26 Lake Buena Vista, Fla. enjoy it and have fun. But Park, seeking her 20th LPGA
players who had won tour- Associated Press then being able to be in victory, was ousted on the
naments in the last two the final and do the play- playoff's third hole when
seasons. days, with two birdies from hole after hitting a 4-hybrid off, that was a really good her tee shot hit off rocks
This was the LPGA's fourth- Lopez the difference. that rode a slope along the experience, and I think this along the left of the green
longest playoff. The lon- Lopez birdied from 18 feet right side of the green and would help me in the fu- and bounded into water.
gest was 10 holes at the on her final hole of regula- curled to 12 feet from the ture," said Hataoka, whose Park, Lopez and Hataoka
1972 Corpus Christi Civitan tion Sunday to earn a spot hole. 2020 goals include a No. finished 72 holes at 13-un-
Open, where Jo Ann Pren- in the playoff alongside But Lopez, whose ball 1 ranking and an Olympic der 271.
tice beat Hall of Famers Hataoka and Inbee Park, barely made the putting gold medal in her home Lopez was asked if she were
Sandra Palmer and Kathy who was eliminated on the surface, went first, her putt country of Japan this sum- relieved she wouldn't have
Whitworth. third playoff hole. up the hill slowing and tum- mer. "When the tourna- to see Tranquilo's well-worn
Lopez and Hataoka wound Hataoka, who made a bling into the cup on its last ments start to get harder 18th hole for another year.
up playing the difficult 197- deft up-and-down from 30 rotation. Hataoka, ranked and harder, it will be a "Not really. I mean, I do
yard 18th hole at Tranquilo yards for par to extend the sixth in the world, made good lesson for me." have a feeling for this hole,"
Golf Club at Four Seasons playoff to a seventh hole a poor stroke, pulling her Lopez charged into con- Lopez said. "I like it. It was a
Golf and Sports Club Or- as play resumed Monday, birdie attempt left. tention with a 5-under 66 perfect number for me yes-
lando eight times over two had the edge on the final After a week of warm Flor- Sunday, and played with terday, to be honest."q

Attorneys say Hawks' Parsons

has career-threatening injuries

By CHARLES ODUM with driving under the influ- Monday's game against
AP Sports Writer ence of alcohol. Toronto. He was not on the
ATLANTA (AP) — Chandler Sgt. John Chafee of the bench for the team's last
Parsons' attorneys say the Atlanta Police Department two games against San An-
Atlanta Hawks forward suf- told The Associated Press tonio and Detroit.
fered "severe and perma- that the police report was Parsons' attorneys said in a
nent injuries" in a car wreck not available Monday be- statement released Mon-
last week that could jeop- cause the public affairs unit day that the other driver
ardize his career. was closed for Martin Lu- "admitted drinking, had al-
Attorneys John Morgan ther King Jr. Day, a federal cohol in the car with him"
and Nick Panagakis of the holiday. and "passed out" following
firm Morgan & Morgan say The Hawks said last week the crash. The attorneys
the injuries Parsons suffered that Parsons suffered a say the driver, who was not In this Nov. 22, 2019, file photo, Atlanta Hawks forward Chandler
in Wednesday's crash in- concussion and whiplash. identified, is responsible for Parsons (31) passes the ball during the second half of an NBA
clude a traumatic brain The team has added "asso- "seriously injuring and po- basketball game against the Detroit Pistons in Detroit.
injury, disk herniation and ciated disk injury" to his list tentially ending Mr. Parsons' Associated Press
a torn labrum. Parsons was of injuries. career as a professional
leaving practice when he Parsons remains in the athlete." last summer, has played points and is making more
was hit by a driver who the concussion protocol and The 31-year-old Parsons, just five games for the than $25 million in the final
attorneys say was charged was not with the team for acquired from Memphis Hawks. He is averaging 2.8 year of his contract.q