Family Illness Caused Lopez to Withdraw

The family matter that has forced Nancy Lopez to pull out of the Diners Club Matches is the illness of her father in law, tournament officials said.

Lopez’s husband, Ray Knight, is a former major league baseball player and manager. Lopez, an LPGA Hall of Famer, called tournament officials Sunday night and asked to be excused. She has been replaced by Laura Davies, who with John Daly won the JC Penney Classic Sunday.

SENIOR UPDATE

For the past few months, Irvine’s Ray Carrasco has been playing golf despite a nagging shoulder injury. “I’ve been masking it will all kinds of pills and painkillers,” said Carrasco, who played this year on the European Senior Tour.

The injury caught up to him last Thursday during the third round of the Senior PGA Tour qualifying tournament in Tucson. Carrasco aggravated the injury during the round and shot seven-over-par 79. Way out of contention for one of the eight senior tour cards for the 2000 season, Carrasco withdrew because the pain was too great.

“It was very disappointing but you have to look ahead,” Carrasco said. “I’m looking forward to regrouping and coming out stronger next year.”

Carrasco is scheduled to have arthroscopic surgery to repair rotator-cuff damage Thursday.

Alan Tapie, who also played on the European Tour this year, missed the cut after two rounds at the Senior PGA Tour qualifying tournament.