The New Mexico Department of Transportation held a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony Thursday, Sept. 3, honoring former pro golfer and Roswell native Nancy Lopez.
The ceremony was held at the intersection of U.S. Highway 285 and the Roswell Relief Route, which was designated the Nancy Lopez Relief Route.
Lopez, a Goddard High School graduate arrived at the event with a police escort leading the way.
“I want to thank the Roswell Police Department,” Lopez said. “That was so cool. I’ve never had a police escort.”
The ceremony drew community members, supporters and state officials who gathered to celebrate Lopez’s golf career and her impact on the sport.
New Mexico Department of Transportation District 2 Engineer Francisco Sanchez said the roadway dedication represented Lopez’s “life, leadership and service.”
“This roadway dedication is a representative of a legacy, a name, a life of service and a reminder to everyone who travels this road from this day about the difference one person can make,” Sanchez said.
Lopez achieved a number of milestones during her golf career, including 48 Ladies Professional Golf Association tour wins, four LPGA Player of the Year awards and induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Lopez, 69, also played on the boys’ golf team while attending Goddard because the school did not have a girls’ program at the time. To make this happen, she took the matter to court and eventually earned a spot on the team. She contributed to back-to-back state championship runs in 1973 and 1974.
New Mexico Sen. Candy Spence Ezzell pointed to Lopez’s fight to join the boys’ team as an example of how one athlete can open doors for others.
“Having to go to court to get her on the men’s golf team was a big step and it recognized the importance of women in sports,” Ezzell said.
For Lopez, the day was not measured by her wins or her awards. It was measured by the people who showed up to support her accomplishment.
“I’m so honored that so many people came to this today,” Lopez said.
Marshall Mecham can be reached at (915) 232-1793 or on X @mecham_marshall. Mecham serves with the New Mexico Local News Fellowship, which places emerging journalists in newsrooms across the state. Learn more at www.newmexicolocalnewsfellowships.org.
