Who was golf legend Nancy Lopez married to? Exploring all about her former husbands

Nancy Lopez is one of the most renowned historical figures in women's golf worldwide. Her 50+ professional victories (three Majors) speak for themselves. Of course, her personal life has also been in the spotlight throughout her career and beyond.

The multiple Women's PGA Championship winner has been married three times (including her current husband). Her former husbands are sportscaster Tim Melton and former MLB star Ray Knight, who is also currently a sportscaster.

Nancy Lopez married Tim Melton in 1979. The couple divorced in 1982 in a highly publicized split at the time. Melton had a long career as a sportscaster in the city of Houston.

Shortly after her divorce from Melton, Nancy Lopez married Ray Knight, then an infielder for the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball. Knight played 14 seasons in the Big Show.

His most notable accomplishment was winning the 1986 World Series with the New York Mets. After retiring from active sports, Knight had brief stints as a manager with the Cincinnati Reds (1996-97 and 2003).

His primary post-MLB activity has been as a sportscaster, long associated with the Washington Nationals. Knight and Nancy Lopez divorced in 2009. They have three daughters, Ashley Marie (1983), Erinn Shea (1986), and Torri Heather (1991).

Eight years later, Nancy Lopez got married again. In June 2017, she married her current husband Ed Russell. Among those who attended the wedding were Jack Nicklaus and his wife Barbara.

Who is Nancy Lopez?

Nancy Lopez is one of the living legends of professional golf. Her 48 victories on the LPGA Tour place her seventh on the all-time winners list.

Note that five of the six players who above Lopez in wins began their respective careers before 1962. As a result, they correspond to a historical period when women's golf had not yet reached the heights it would later achieve.

Rank	Name	Lifespan	LPGA Tour Wins	Majors	Winning span
1	Kathy Whitworth	1939–2022	88	6	1962–1985
2	Mickey Wright	1935–2020	82	13	1956–1973
3	Annika Sörenstam	1970–	72	10	1995–2008
4	Louise Suggs	1923–2015	61	11	1946–1962
5	Patty Berg	1918–2006	60	15	1937–1962
6	Betsy Rawls	1928–2023	55	8	1951–1972
7	Nancy Lopez	1957–	48	3	1978–1997

Lopez made her professional golf debut in 1977 and quickly earned a spot on the LPGA Tour. Her first full season on the world's premier tour was in 1978, and she recorded her first victory (Bent Tree Classic).

That year she won the first of her three Women's PGA Championships (1985 and 1989 being the other two). 1978 was also Lopez's most prolific season in terms of wins. She won nine tournaments that year and eight in 1979.

She won at least one tournament a year until 1993, except for 1986 (the year her first daughter was born).

It took four years after 1993 for Lopez to win on the LPGA Tour again. It was the 1997 Chick-fil-A Charity Championship. This was also Lopez's last victory at this level.

She played in only one edition of the Solheim Cup (1990), winning the trophy with the U.S. team. She also captained the team in the 2005 edition, where she repeated her victory.

She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1987.