Ochoa reaffirms No. 1 status with win in Sybase Classic
- By The Associated Press
- Published 05/19/2008
- News
- Unrated
By TOM CANAVAN (AP Sports Writer)
CLIFTON, N.J.(AP) Lorena Ochoa answered every challenge in the Sybase Classic.
A day after leaving Annika Sorenstam in the dust and reaffirming her status as the world's best female golfer, Ochoa overcame a balky putter to shoot a 1-under 71 and post a one-stroke victory over five players on Sunday for her sixth win in nine starts this year.
"I'm feeling good,'' Ochoa said after her 23rd overall win and 20th since April 2006. "I want to make this a very special season. I always thought that 2008 would be a great year the way I started, and I'm going to make sure I continue that. I'm going to go into every tournament 100 percent trying to win every week.''
This was an important week for Ochoa.
For the first time since taking over the No. 1 ranking, the 26-year-old Mexican seemingly was facing a serious challenge to the top spot with Sorenstam coming off consecutive wins, including a record-setting performance the previous week at Kingsmill.
Sorenstam, who announced on Tuesday that this would be her final season on the tour, then went out and took the opening-round lead at the Sybase at the Upper Montclair Country Club.
After a washout on Friday, Ochoa responded on Saturday by taking a two-shot lead and opening a five-shot margin over the 37-year-old Sorenstam.
Ochoa then did something out of the ordinary on Sunday. She didn't run away from the rest of the field. She opened a four-shot lead and then had her putter betray her. For the round, she missed 10 birdie chances of 20 feet or less, including nine under 15 feet.
It put her under pressure, and she still found a way to win.
"It was a tough day, but I did it,'' Ochoa said. "I think that was what was important. It doesn't matter how you do it sometimes; you play really good, other players struggle, sometimes you just keep yourself in a good position. Today it was different; it was a different win, but I enjoyed it a lot.''
Her five other wins this year were by a combined 37 strokes, with the closest margin being three shots.
The $300,000 top prize pushed her career earnings past the $12 million mark, making her the fastest player on the LPGA Tour to reach that plateau.
Ochoa accomplished it in just over five years, more than four years faster than the old mark set by Sorenstam, who never was a factor in the final round after a bogey on the first hole.
"I wanted to start with birdies, put some pressure on and it started the other way,'' Sorenstam said. "It was tough to come back.''
Sophie Gustafson of Sweden, Morgan Pressel, Catriona Matthew of Scotland, rookie leader Na Yeon Choi and Brittany Lang all finished the 54-hole tournament at 9-under-par 207, a shot behind Ochoa in the rain-shortened 54-hole tournament.
Gustafson came the closest to catching Ochoa. She birdied No. 16 from 20 feet to get within two shots, and she pulled within one when the leader bogeyed the par-3 No. 17 after hitting her tee shot into a bunker.
Both players reached the par-5 No. 18 in three, with Ochoa getting into position despite having to contend with some trees on her second shot after a drive into the rough.
Gustafson had a 12-footer to tie. The putt was right all the way.
Ochoa then simply had to two-putt from 8 feet to win. She missed the first putt, and then tapped in.
Pressel, who shot a final-round 6-under 66 to zoom into contention, also got within a shot after Ochoa bogeyed No. 9 and she birdied No. 12 for her fifth birdie in seven holes.
Ochoa then had a two-putt birdie at the par-5 No. 11 to get back to 11-under, and she stayed there by making a 15-footer for par at No. 13 after grounding her second shot out of the rough from one side of the fairway to the other.
Ochoa took a wild swing at the rough with her wood after the shot and then slammed the club head into the grass. She breathed a sigh of relief and pumped her fist twice after making the par saver.
It was the same reaction she had on No. 18 after tapping in and hugging caddie Dave Brooker.
"Dave told me on the 18th after I made that putt, 'I really like when you win by five,''' Ochoa said. "It's a little bit easier when you're walking up that 18th fairway; I guess you can enjoy a little bit more the last walk, instead of being nervous.''
Ochoa plans to take this week off and relax.
CLIFTON, N.J.(AP) Lorena Ochoa answered every challenge in the Sybase Classic.
A day after leaving Annika Sorenstam in the dust and reaffirming her status as the world's best female golfer, Ochoa overcame a balky putter to shoot a 1-under 71 and post a one-stroke victory over five players on Sunday for her sixth win in nine starts this year.
"I'm feeling good,'' Ochoa said after her 23rd overall win and 20th since April 2006. "I want to make this a very special season. I always thought that 2008 would be a great year the way I started, and I'm going to make sure I continue that. I'm going to go into every tournament 100 percent trying to win every week.''
This was an important week for Ochoa.
For the first time since taking over the No. 1 ranking, the 26-year-old Mexican seemingly was facing a serious challenge to the top spot with Sorenstam coming off consecutive wins, including a record-setting performance the previous week at Kingsmill.
Sorenstam, who announced on Tuesday that this would be her final season on the tour, then went out and took the opening-round lead at the Sybase at the Upper Montclair Country Club.
After a washout on Friday, Ochoa responded on Saturday by taking a two-shot lead and opening a five-shot margin over the 37-year-old Sorenstam.
Ochoa then did something out of the ordinary on Sunday. She didn't run away from the rest of the field. She opened a four-shot lead and then had her putter betray her. For the round, she missed 10 birdie chances of 20 feet or less, including nine under 15 feet.
It put her under pressure, and she still found a way to win.
"It was a tough day, but I did it,'' Ochoa said. "I think that was what was important. It doesn't matter how you do it sometimes; you play really good, other players struggle, sometimes you just keep yourself in a good position. Today it was different; it was a different win, but I enjoyed it a lot.''
Her five other wins this year were by a combined 37 strokes, with the closest margin being three shots.
The $300,000 top prize pushed her career earnings past the $12 million mark, making her the fastest player on the LPGA Tour to reach that plateau.
Ochoa accomplished it in just over five years, more than four years faster than the old mark set by Sorenstam, who never was a factor in the final round after a bogey on the first hole.
"I wanted to start with birdies, put some pressure on and it started the other way,'' Sorenstam said. "It was tough to come back.''
Sophie Gustafson of Sweden, Morgan Pressel, Catriona Matthew of Scotland, rookie leader Na Yeon Choi and Brittany Lang all finished the 54-hole tournament at 9-under-par 207, a shot behind Ochoa in the rain-shortened 54-hole tournament.
Gustafson came the closest to catching Ochoa. She birdied No. 16 from 20 feet to get within two shots, and she pulled within one when the leader bogeyed the par-3 No. 17 after hitting her tee shot into a bunker.
Both players reached the par-5 No. 18 in three, with Ochoa getting into position despite having to contend with some trees on her second shot after a drive into the rough.
Gustafson had a 12-footer to tie. The putt was right all the way.
Ochoa then simply had to two-putt from 8 feet to win. She missed the first putt, and then tapped in.
Pressel, who shot a final-round 6-under 66 to zoom into contention, also got within a shot after Ochoa bogeyed No. 9 and she birdied No. 12 for her fifth birdie in seven holes.
Ochoa then had a two-putt birdie at the par-5 No. 11 to get back to 11-under, and she stayed there by making a 15-footer for par at No. 13 after grounding her second shot out of the rough from one side of the fairway to the other.
Ochoa took a wild swing at the rough with her wood after the shot and then slammed the club head into the grass. She breathed a sigh of relief and pumped her fist twice after making the par saver.
It was the same reaction she had on No. 18 after tapping in and hugging caddie Dave Brooker.
"Dave told me on the 18th after I made that putt, 'I really like when you win by five,''' Ochoa said. "It's a little bit easier when you're walking up that 18th fairway; I guess you can enjoy a little bit more the last walk, instead of being nervous.''
Ochoa plans to take this week off and relax.
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