Gaby Lopez is unique in golf. She makes sure, at every stop the LPGA goes, to get to know the names of the staffers at the host course that week and thank them by name for the work they put in to make their events happen.
"I don't know, I really like to stay close to them. 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," Lopez said on Thursday at The Riviera Country Club, site of this year's US Women's Open for the first time.
"Because they wake up at 3, 4 a.m. every single day for us, and we don't see it. We just show up and play. There's people behind making the work for us, and I think me just taking a little bit of time and just staying close to them."
Lopez said this week that she is particularly connected with the staff at Riviera, just outside of Los Angeles.
"I mean, they're Mexican, I'm Mexican," she said, "and I'm very proud to represent them."
Lopez has played significantly fewer tournaments so far in 2026 on the LPGA Tour, with the intent of doing better in the five tournaments she most wants to win.
"This year I changed my schedule and I've been focusing more on majors," she said. "Like I'm barely playing any other events towards the middle of the season. That's something that I didn't do before.
"I feel that getting more rest, getting more time to prep exactly what the golf courses are needing is helping me a lot."
Being prepared and still being grateful is a great combination in one of the toughest championships in golf. After positioning herself on Saturday to win, she hopes to believe in what she did to get to here and earn victory on Sunday.
"Clearly, no one knows what's going to happen tomorrow," Lopez said. "The one thing that I got to stick to is to how much more commitment I can bring into every single shot. High level commitment and let it fly. Let it go."
