Mexico’s Lopez holds on for first LPGA victory at Blue Bay

HAINAN ISLAND, China — Gaby Lopez won her first LPGA Tour event with a 1-over 73 to finish one shot ahead of Ariya Jutanugarn in the Blue Bay tournament in China.

Lopez had bogeys on the last two holes at the Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Club on Saturday and almost let the title slip away. She finished at 8-under 280.

Playing in a group with Lopez, No. 1-ranked Jutanugarn had a birdie on the final hole to also finish on 73. Celine Boutier shot a 66 and finished two shots off the lead.

Lopez is the first winner from Mexico since Lorena Ochoa, a driving force for the game in that Latin American country. Ochoa was the LPGA’s top-ranked golfer for several years until she retired in 2010. She won 27 LPGA Tour events.

“I mean, she’s been my inspiration my entire life,” Lopez said of Ochoa.

Lopez said she was also thinking of her grandfather, José Lopez, who died recently.

“I always told him that I was going to give him my first trophy,” Lopez said. “Sadly I didn’t, but he was with me all week long.”

Lopez turned 25 on Friday and had a hole-in-one in the third round, which turned out to be the difference.

The tournament wrapped up five straight weeks of play for the LPGA in Asia.

PGA: In Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Matt Kuchar had another rough hole and enough birdies to atone for it Saturday, posting a 6-under 65 to open a four-shot lead in the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

Kuchar hit a wild drive to the right into mangroves on the par-4 14th and had to get up-and-down to salvage a bogey. That was the only big mistake for Kuchar, who is going after his first PGA Tour title in more than four years.

He saved par from just off the green at the 18th to finish at 20-under 193, four shots ahead of Whee Kim, who had a 66. Richy Werenski and Danny Lee each shot 67 and were five shots back.