KirkwoodGolf

Monday, April 14, 2008

Ochoa outclasses LPGA
field in Mexico

Mexico's Lorena Ochoa continues to dominate the LPGA Tour almost as much as Tiger Woods does on the US PGA circuit.
She fired a final round four-under 69 for an 11-stroke victory over South Korea's Song-Hee Kim at the LPGA's $1.3million Corona Championship.
Ochoa, who posted three consecutive seven-under-par 66 efforts to start the tournament, entered the final round with a seven-shot cushion before finishing at 25-under 267 at the Tres Marias Residential Golf Club, Morelia in her native Mexico.
A generous par of 73 for a 65,39yd was always going to produce very low scores but 25 under par - which included a triple bogey - was still a different class performance by Ochoa.
She easily claimed the title - her fourth in five tries this year - and the $195 000 in prize money by besting second-place Kim. With this 21st career victory, Ochoa qualified for the US LPGA's Hall of Fame at age 26. But it will be another 10 years before she is old enough officially to be a Hall of Famer.
"It was an amazing week," Ochoa said. "I can say I'm in the Hall of Fame now. It was really special to be here in my home country.
The 2006 champion and winner of the Kraft Nabisco Championship major the previous weekend, Ochoa finished her final round with seven birdies and her only mishap in the entire tournament was a triple-bogey at the 11th.
The triple-bogey ended any chance for Ochoa to tie or break the LPGA 72-hole scoring record of 27-under 261 set by Annika Sorenstam in 2001.
Frenchwoman Karine Icher and Inbee Park finished tied for third.
Defending champion Silvia Cavalleri carded a 69 on Sunday to finish tied for 29th place.
"I was trying to break the (LPGA 72-hole scoring) record by going more than 7-under today," Ochoa said. "After (the triple bogey) things went down, but I did want to finish like a champ and when I birdied four of the last few holes, that really made my day."
What also made Ochoa's day was she did it on her home soil.
"Things happen for a reason," Ochoa said. "It's something I'll be able to say for the rest of my life. Everybody saw me do it (in Mexico). I think that's for sure the best memory."
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 292 (4 x 73). 6539yd.
267 L Ochoa 66 66 66 69.
278 Song-Hee Kim 66 69 71 72.

279 K Icher 75 66 66 72, Inbee Park 69 64 72 74.

280 K Koch 69 73 72 66, Na Yeon Choi 69 68 71 72.

Other scores:

289 Johanna Head (Eng) 73 71 75 70 (jt 13th) ($20,927).

295 Janice Moodie (Sco) 71 76 76 72 (jt 35th) ($8,094).

306 Kathryn Imrie (Sco) 72 78 78 78 (jt 62nd) ($3,126).

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