Lopez's '1 Night 2 Days' 7th Extension Cheers "I'm the Opening Match Champ"

2020 Season Opening Match: Comeback Victory at Diamond Resort, Hataoka and Park In-bee Tie for 2nd Place

Gaby Lopez is teeing off on the 7th hole on the final day of the Diamond Resort Tournament. Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA ? Getty Images/Multivitz

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Gabi Lopez (Mexico) cheers for her victory in the playoff.

On the night of the 20th (Korean time), at the Four Seasons Golf & Sports Club in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA (par 71, 6,645 yards), the 2020 LPGA Tour season opener, the Diamond Resorts Tournament (total prize money $1.2 million), resumed. After a seven-hole playoff spanning 'one night and two days,' she defeated Nasa Hataoka (Japan). Since debuting on the LPGA Tour in 2016, this is her second win following her Blue Bay LPGA victory in November 2018, with a winner's prize of $180,000 (approximately 210 million KRW).

Lopez shot 5-under par in the 4th round to tie with Hataoka and Inbee Park (32) at 13-under par 271, pushing the match into a playoff. Inbee Park made a fatal mistake by hitting her tee shot into the water on the third playoff hole at the 18th hole (par 3), leading to her early elimination. Lopez and Hataoka could not decide the winner through five playoff holes, and the match was suspended due to sunset. Lopez secured the victory with a precious 7-meter winning birdie on the seventh playoff hole.

"I approached the playoff with patience," she said, "and I am very happy to have achieved a good result." For Korea, Inbee Park, who was leading by two strokes, finished even par and settled for a tie for second place. Hee-jeong Hur (31) surged to a tie for 4th place (12-under par 272) by making 10 birdies (2 bogeys). Se-young Kim (27) ended her bid for back-to-back wins tied for 7th place (10-under par 274). Hee-young Yang (31) tied for 15th place (5-under par 279), while Eun-hee Ji (34) and In-ji Jeon (26) tied for 24th place (3-over par 287).