Hard Work Keeps Paying Off For Lopez Ramirez

STARKVILLE – The pressure was intense on that mid-April afternoon.

Mississippi State sophomore golfer Julia Lopez Ramirez was closing in on the university’s second-ever Southeastern Conference Individual Women’s Golf Championship, and it wasn’t much of a secret.

“She knew where she stood on the last two holes, so when she went to number 18, she knew that it was going to take a birdie to separate herself,” head coach Charlie Ewing said.

There were about 80 yards between Lopez Ramirez’s spot on the fairway and the hole. She evaluated her position, knowing that she would only have one putt to secure a birdie once making it onto the green.

So, like she’d done all day, the young star pulled back and gave it a shot. It turned out to be her best shot of the round, in fact.

“It was a par five. I had to lay up,” Lopez Ramirez said. “It bounced perfectly, backspin back and I get it to a foot.”

The putt was a no-doubter, and after sinking it with ease, Lopez Ramirez hugged her competition and was joined by her coaches and teammates on the green. All knew they’d just witnessed history and saw Lopez Ramirez’s hard work pay off in the biggest way.

“I feel like you get there and that’s what you work for, that’s what you practice for,” Lopez Ramirez said. “I just feel really confident in that moment.”

In his second full season as the program’s coach, all Ewing could do was take it all in and reflect on Lopez Ramirez’s incredible round, especially her big swing on the 18th hole.

“I know that’s a shot that we’ll all remember for the rest of our lives,” Ewing said.

So, how did one of the younger players on the course do it?

It’s obvious that Lopez Ramirez has raw talent. She tied for first place in her collegiate debut and went on to finish on top of the leaderboard two additional times as a rookie eventually being named the SEC Freshman of the Year at the end of last year’s spring season. The standout golfer has continued to excel as a sophomore, and the year isn’t over yet.

Many get to see Lopez Ramirez’s success, but what very few see is the work that she puts in behind the scenes, both physically and mentally. Like most other student-athletes, she follows a demanding workout schedule before even stepping foot on the golf course, going above and beyond to put in her best effort.

“She’s really dedicated in the gym,”…