Ochoa Leaps To Win After LPGA’s First Major Of 2008
When Amy Alcott made the inaugural jump into Poppie’s Pond April 3, 1988 after winning the Nabisco Dinah Shore, it was tough to immediately realize the legacy it began. Lorena Ochoa’s win on Sunday with an 11-under-par 277 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship could be known more for who jumped with her than how she jumped in. After receiving her trophy, Ochoa’s $300,000, five-stroke, victory leap included her, her caddie, mother, father, brother and sister-in-law … and about 15 other friends and family.
“All of them were people that I know for many, many years and they live back in Guadalajara and we are almost like a family,” said Ochoa, who leads the LPGA Official Money List with $855,550 and Rolex Player of the Year race with 123 points over Annika Sorenstam (75). “Well, just the feeling on 18 early, it was the best, knowing that I have so many people behind, and you know, so many friends and relatives. I had been playing this tournament eight years as an amateur.”
Ochoa (68-71-71-67) fired a final-round 5-under-par 67 on the Dinah Shore Course and distanced herself from the late-charging duo of Annika Sorenstam (71-70-73-68) and Suzann Pettersen (74-75-65-68), who also tied for second at this event in 2007. Ochoa maintained a bogey-free round with five birdies on holes one, two, eight, nine and 10, where she sealed the deal with a 40-foot birdie putt.
With three wins in four events this season, Ochoa heads to the Corona Championship next week in Morelia, Mexico—which she won in 2006. She currently holds a 67 percent conversion rate when leading heading into the final round (14/21) and leads the Tour with a 68.3333 scoring average per round.
Ochoa one point shy of HOF. With her five-stroke victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, Rolex Rankings’ number one Lorena Ochoa has 26 of the necessary 27 points required to gain entrance into the LPGA Tour and World Golf Halls of Fame. She will not be fully eligible for induction until 2012 when she completes the required 10 years on Tour. Ochoa has 20 wins, including two major championships, two Rolex Player of the Year awards and two Vare Trophies.
Each LPGA Tour victory is worth one point, a major championship is two points and Rolex Player of the Year and Vare Trophy honors are one point each.
