Lopez birdies final three holes for 63 to win Dana Open

SYLVANIA, Ohio (AP) — Gaby Lopez rallied from four shots behind Sunday and closed with three straight birdies for a 8-under 63 and a one-shot victory in the Dana Open.

Lopez finished her big run with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th at Highland Meadow, setting off a series of fist pumps, knowing it would keep her one shot ahead of Megan Khang.

All that was left for the 28-year-old Mexican was to see if anyone could catch her.

No one came particularly close, and Lopez had her third career LPGA Tour victory, and her first since the Tournament of Champions to start the 2020 season.

“I knew I had to make it because Megan was going to make hers,” Lopez said. “I practice exactly for this moment. We got the job done.”

Khang, who shot 29 on the front on a rain-softened course, closed with a 64.

Lucy Li, the 19-year-old Californian who started the final round with a one-shot lead, struggled to make birdies. Her hopes effectively ended when she hit into a fairway bunker on the 16th hole, played well short of the green and missed a 5-foot par putt.

Li birdied the 18th hole for a 70 and tied for fourth. She already has her LPGA Tour card for next season through the Epson Tour. Li tied for ninth in Canada last week to get into the Dana Open, and now she is eligible to play the LPGA event in Cincinnati next week.

“Yesterday I was a little nervous on the first couple of holes. Today didn’t really feel nervous at all, so that was definitely good,” Li said. “There is lots of lessons to be learned, but today I hit it good and I just couldn’t get a lot of the putts to fall honestly.”

Brooke Henderson (69) of Smiths Falls, Ont., tied for 13th at 12-under par overall. Maude-Aimee Leblanc (69) of Sherbrooke, Que., tied for 65th at 2