¿Complexes? None. ¿Fear? None. ¿Ambition? All of it. Anyone who thinks that Julia López is going to be diminished by the circumstances this Sunday doesn’t know her. There will be nerves, of course. Lots of them. But not a trace of what am I doing in a place like this. The golfer from Málaga, as you know, will tee off this Sunday in the final group of the US Women’s Open at Erin Hills, one shot off the lead held by Maja Stark. She is one step away from being the first Spanish woman to win a Major. A giant step, no less. But a step.
“Honestly, it’s pretty much where I want to be, it’s very exciting and it gives me confidence for tomorrow. Seeing my game in the right place and on the rise is very exciting and I’m really looking forward to continuing to play,” said the young woman from Benahavís this Saturday right after signing the exceptional scorecard of 68 strokes.
Julia is very aware that no Spanish woman has ever won a Major. The statistic doesn’t overwhelm her; rather, it motivates her. Another incentive. “I think it’s possible to win because my game can be there for several weeks. Time will tell. It will come. Little by little. In the present. And because of my game, I think I can have a good Sunday. I’m very excited. I’m really looking forward to playing tomorrow. I’m going to stick to my game, enjoy myself out there and do what I love most. Be present, control what I can, and see what happens,” she said with conviction. This is the key to everything. It may or may not work out because we know how things are in the final rounds of a tournament, especially in a Major, but there’s no doubt that Julia is convinced she can do it. The hardest step has been taken.
Yesterday’s round was a golf festival. One of those rounds that are within reach of few players. Julia López is one of them. One of those rounds that reinforce the idea that this player was born for big stages and battles. She simply had a blast. “Being such a big tournament with a lot of people, for me the main thing is to stay in the present moment, focus a lot on that. Mistakes are going to happen, there will be bad shots. For me, it’s about going step by step and playing with what I have. Sometimes the wind takes the ball, the greens are fast. It was a mentally tough day, staying present and dealing with what was in front of me. The greens were much more difficult, very fast, the pins more complicated. It was different from the previous days. I think I kept my patience and attacked the pins when I could; when not, I went to the centre of the green. I stayed in the right areas and avoided mistakes where they couldn’t be made. I think that was the difference compared to the past days.”
The former World Number One amateur has been in this position several times before. Obviously, never in a professional tournament, but many times in the amateur field. It’s more or less about doing the same thing, knowing that the atmosphere will be different. “I’ve been in this position several times in college, but obviously it’s not the same as a major. Although I do think that when you’re in college and you’re there to win a tournament, the nerves are the same. At that moment, it’s what matters most to you. You just want to win, be a good player there. The nerves are similar. Of course, now there’s more crowd and it’s a bigger tournament. But I think the last event where I was like this was probably in the Nationals or the SEC (conference championship) last year. I also played at St. Andrews as an amateur last year and that was a great experience too,” she points out.
Finally, she appreciates the support of players with the experience of Carlota Ciganda and Azahara Muñoz. “They have supported me a lot since I arrived at the LPGA. They were my heroines and having them now as support and as friends is something incredible. They have given me very good advice. They have been like mothers to me. I am very grateful to them,” she explains. Both have written to her in the last few hours to wish her the best.
