MEXICO CITY – Though Ana Menendez and Gaby Lopez made quick exits in match play at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational last weekend, the two Mexican golfers and best friends will likely carry the experience with them for a long time.
Menendez, 25, and Lopez, 23, both grew up in awe of the tournament's namesake and aspired to one day play beside her. Though Ochoa retired in 2011, the young pros got their chance last week, before the tournament.
“It was great,” said Menendez. “The three of us played a round together and it was a dream.”
Ochoa, a 27-time LPGA tournament winner who will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in September, blazed her path and set up a blueprint that both proteges would follow in their amateur days.