LPGA Tournament at Buena Park : Lopez Recovers for a Two-Stroke Victory

Nancy Lopez recovered from a shaky start and shot a two-under-par 70 for a two-stroke victory over fast-closing Alice Ritzman and rookie Pam Wright on Sunday in the MBS Classic.

Lopez, who had a 72-hole total of 11-under-par 277, won her 42nd career tournament and her seventh in Southern California.

“I don’t know what it is about this area,” she said. “Maybe it’s just the warm weather. I love to play in the heat.”

Wright, the third-round leader who was trying for her first LPGA victory, held or shared the lead through the first eight holes. But she wasn’t able to keep up with Lopez, who made her move at the ninth hole for the second straight round.

Wright shot a 73 and Ritzman a 67 to tie at 279.

“I’m proud of the way I played,” Wright said. “I had one really bad hole--the fourth when I whiffed a shot--but I never gave up. I don’t really feel like I lost it. Nancy went out and won it.”

Beth Daniel, who had won two tournaments in a row, shot a 70 to finish tied for fourth at 280 with Pat Bradley (69) and Colleen Walker (71).

Ritzman made the biggest move but started from six strokes back. When Lopez was making her move at the ninth, Ritzman was doing the same thing playing three holes in front.

Ritzman, who eagled the ninth, got to 10-under first with birdies at the 10th and 12th.

But while Lopez continued to play strong on the back nine, Ritzman fell back with bogeys at the 13th and 14th.

“I gave it my best shot,” Ritzman said. “But it’s tough to spot a player like Nancy Lopez a few strokes on the last day.”

Lopez, who started a stroke out of the lead, opened her round slowly with bogeys at the second and third holes.

But she got back into contention with a birdie at the fourth, and moved into a share of the lead with a birdie at the ninth.

Her key birdie, however, came at the 10th when she hit her third shot over the green, then chipped in from 30 feet.

“I knew what Alice was doing ahead of me,” Lopez said. “I knew I needed some birdies to get out in front again.”

She added birdies at the 12th and 17th. Lopez’s third victory of the year was worth $45,000 from a $300,000 purse.