 |
|
|
 News Around the Republic of Mexico | March 2007 
Lorena Ochoa Plays for Mexico, Women
 Larry Bohannan - The Desert Sun
| | Lorena Ochoa tees off on the 15th hole of the Arnold Palmer Course at Mission Hills Country Club during the pro-am event of the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Tuesday in Rancho Mirage. (Marilyn Chung/The Desert Sun) |
Rancho Mirage - Lorena Ochoa says if she ever wins a major championship on the LPGA Tour, the celebration in her home city might rival the parties after Mexico's beloved national soccer team wins a tournament.
"They all go to this one place called La Minerva, which everybody said when the soccer team wins, they celebrate there, like drink and run and listen to music, mariachi bands, and they promised me they will do that," Ochoa said. "We'll see."
The celebrations for an Ochoa major victory, which could come in the desert this week at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, likely won't be confined to Ochoa's hometown of Guadalajara or even to Mexico.
There might be celebrations in Coachella, El Centro and East Los Angeles, too. That's because as Ochoa's star rises in the LPGA sky, the 25-year-old is receiving support not just from her countrymen but from Hispanic-Americans.
"She has transcended her sport," said Chris Higgs, senior vice president and chief operating office of the LPGA. "Just like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods have transcended their sports in this country, Lorena has transcended her sport for Hispanics."
That makes Ochoa a role model for younger Hispanics who believe they can achieve many things, whether in golf or in life, Higgs said.
"She has encouraged and motivated people to do what little Mexican girls who are 10 and 11 weren't even thinking about doing," Higgs said. "She was the architect, she was the maverick and she broke the ground."
"When you see someone like that, you know she's from Mexico, her club cover has the flag on it and she's proud of her heritage," said comedian and sitcom star George Lopez, who played a pro-am round with Ochoa on Tuesday at Mission Hills Country Club. "It's something people like us, who were born (in the United States), should learn more about her. She's like Tiger (Woods) for us."
Ochoa is perhaps the most unlikely of international stars, since she's from a country that all but ignores golf and women's sports.
Higgs says only about 30,000 people, a vast majority of them men, play golf in Mexico despite the country's population of 60 million. Yet Ochoa has media and sponsorship support that rivals the best Mexican soccer players. Her list of sponsors in her country includes Rolex, Coca-Cola, Banco Nacional de Mexico, Citi Group, Audi and Office Depot. Documentary filmmakers have been following Ochoa for almost a year to record her life. The LPGA has two official tournaments in Mexico on its schedule this year, something that wouldn't have been possible 10 years ago.
"The rise in women's golf and our rise in Mexico was catapulted basically by Lorena," Higgs said.
Ochoa recalls how difficult it was as a young girl in Mexico wanting to play golf, and she wants to change that for Mexican and Hispanic-American children today.
"I grew up playing by myself with boys, and now there are so many girls playing the game. We just opened our first Ochoa golf academy in Guadalajara, and I'm doing this with my coach and my brother and we have already 80 girls and they are playing," she said.
"Just to see those numbers and to see those little kids playing, it's really (obvious) change to me," Ochoa added. "I just get motivated, and I want to play for all of them to show that golf is an opportunity that you can get on a scholarship and you can come to the United States and get a scholarship and play (professionally)."
Ochoa's work has inspired Lopez to get involved.
"I'm a big supporter of her now and what she's trying to do in Mexico with the kids through school," Lopez said. "I got her information and together we'll try to do a couple of shows and take the proceeds and give it to her to give to the schools and become involved."
The idea that Ochoa could inspire an entire generation of Mexican and Hispanic-American girls to play golf excites Higgs as much as the potential Hispanic market Ochoa could open up for the LPGA. Higgs said U.S. Census figures predict a U.S. population of about 330 million by 2015, about 100 million of whom will be Hispanic.
"Through Lorena, we have an opportunity, particularly in the Hispanic population," Higgs said. "But within the Hispanic population, over 60 percent will be Hispanics of Mexican decent. So we have a large area of potential interest with Lorena and her Mexican heritage."
Ochoa's appeal also comes from what Higgs calls her grounded beliefs. She starts each press conference by saying hello as if to thank the media for its interest. She acknowledges her fans, whether they are waving Mexican flags, cheering her in Spanish or just applauding her good shots.
"What is even more engaging about Lorena in Mexico is the personable nature of her, her family, her family values, stuff that has a broader appeal," Higgs said. "That's a quality about Lorena that everybody recognizes."
Leighton Ginn contributed to this report. |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us