Gaby Lopez Finds Comfort and Confidence at Riviera Country Club

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – For Gaby Lopez, the Riviera Country Club is a familiar sanctuary. The course's Kikuyu and Poa grasses remind her of her roots in Mexico City. Arriving in Los Angeles ahead of the U.S. Open, she dedicated time to familiarize herself with the course, adjusting her competition calendar to focus primarily on major tournaments.

Lopez, who began the U.S. Women's Open with a score of 68, trails leader Sei Young Kim by just one stroke. Prior to this event, she took a month-long break from the LPGA tour, preparing herself for a series of four major tournaments scheduled through August. Between now and the AIG Women's British Open, her participation in only one non-major event—the Scottish Open—is planned, as she opts out of the Dow Championship team event and the Meijer LPGA tournament.

"Honestly, I feel that I honestly don't play well at Meijer," Lopez admitted. "I don't like the golf course. It's still Poa, but it's one of the golf courses that I keep coming back to and give it a try. This year, I'm like, you know what, no. Instead of missing the cut, I'm going to skip it and do good prep. I feel like that's how you create confidence on your preparation."

Lopez notes that she has become more versatile in her gameplay, adapting to various shots and course conditions while also learning to be gentler with herself. "Right now I'm honestly just stop chasing," she shared. "Like if it happens, great. If it doesn't, great. I tried my best. But I'm not going to let myself get in the way of me trying too hard out there."

Acknowledging LPGA Hall of Famer Lorena Ochoa as a guiding figure, Lopez has continued the tradition of engaging with the course staff each week. "I really like to stay close to them," she said. "I love to say thank you and hello by their name, and I think they need that respect and they need that showcase as well, because they wake up at 3, 4 a.m. every single day for us, and we don't see it. There's people behind making the work for us, and I'm very proud to represent them."