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 Americas & Beyond | June 2008 
Ochoa Has Spent Life At the Top
 Jessamyn Bradley - Buffalo News
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| | Lorena Ochoa tees off on the fourth hole at the Wegmans LPGA in Pittsford Thursday. (Mark Mulville/Buffalo News) | | |
Pittsford — Lorena Ochoa’s life has been a series of firsts. She was the first Mexican golfer of either gender to be ranked No. 1 in the world; she became in 2004 the first Mexican to win on the LPGA Tour; she is the youngest person and first golfer to receive Mexico’s National Sports Award given by the president; and she has toyed with the notion of being the most successful golfer to retire under 35.
This weekend, the No. 1-ranked female golfer in the world is shooting to finish first for the second straight year at the Wegmans LPGA at Locust Hill Country Club.
On Thursday she opened with an even-par 72, four strokes behind the seven coleaders. Michelle Wie finished with a 71 and Annika Sorenstam shot a 73.
Success came to Ochoa at a young age.
She grew up across from the Guadalajara Country Club and was encouraged by her parents to do more than just play golf for fun. At age 5, she began to hone her skills with a pro and won her first Jalisco state championship at 6, followed at age 7 by the Junior World Golf Championship in San Diego.
She sailed through the U. S. 8-12 Junior Olympics, winning five consecutive titles. At this point, she faced a decision. Ochoa was, and still is, a multisport athlete. She played just about every sport and won youth tennis tournaments. Her father encouraged her to pick one sport and excel in it.
“When I was 13, I had a problem with my wrist,” Ochoa said. “I was playing a lot of basketball and then I had a tournament and didn’t play good. I really didn’t like the feeling of losing and then I thought, ‘You know, I want to win and be the best.’ [Golf] is what I want to do the rest of my life.”
She was on her way to a stellar career. Ochoa attended the University of Arizona and never finished any event fewer than three shots below the lead. Her average margin of victory reached five strokes in her sophomore year, after which she was named an All-American. The next year she turned pro.
“I never doubted it,” she said of her ability to be a professional golfer. “There are people that are 18, 19, 20, and have no idea where they want to go, what they want to study, where they want to live, and I always knew. I never spent time debating what I want to do.”
The next year she made her debut as a pro in Ochoa style, by dominating the Futures Tour. She won three of 10 events, finished first on the money list, and earned her LPGA card. Since joining the big tour, she has piled up the victories. She was named Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has won 25 times including two majors: the Women’s British Open in 2007 and the Kraft Nabisco Tournament in 2008. In the Kraft she shot the lowest score (62) in the history of the tournament.
This year she is first on the LPGA money list, in scoring average, driving distance and greens in regulation.
“I think everything is a process,” she said of her success. “You first have to set some high goals and just give yourself a chance and really be patient. . . . We had some goals when I first turned professional. We knew it would take four or five years to get to the top and be ranked the No. 1 player. So this is where we are right now, and I would like to stay there for a few years.”
Although golf is a major part of her life, the 26-year-old Ochoa said that family always comes No. 1. She travels with two family portraits: One stays at her bedside and one in her golf bag. Her parents, Marcela and Javier, always nurtured her desires to succeed, investing in Ochoa’s lessons at the neighboring golf club. Siblings Javier Jr., Alejandro and Daniella share more of a friendship than a brother-sister bond. Ochoa said probably the most difficult part of her success is being able to balance family and her career.
“They are the most important thing, so you need to learn how to do it,” Ochoa said. “Instead of going home and staying there, maybe we all go three or four days to the beach and have some quality time.”
Outside of her immediate family, Ochoa has developed relationships with some of her peers and some former golfers. Before teeing off Wednesday morning, Ochoa gave former LPGA Tour member and Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez an endearing hug. Lopez wrote a magazine article recently in which she said some exceptional things about Ochoa.
“It just means a lot, because I admire her a lot and follow her career,” Ochoa said. “I saw her today for the first time after the article, so I had to go say hi and thank her for the nice comments that she had.”
In a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Lopez said the leadership torch has been passed to Ochoa, who plays just as much to promote her tournament and her peers as she does for herself.
Rafael Alarcon, a former PGA Tour player and Ochoa’s golf teacher, said her popularity has transcended golf in her native country.
“In Mexico, the masses don’t know what golf is,” Alarcon said, “but a taxi driver will know Ochoa.”
The 5-foot-6 dynamo continues to make big strides in her sport and, although she has mentioned she would like to retire young, shows no signs of fatigue within her game or her spirit.
“I think I will play golf as long as I enjoy it,” Ochoa said. “I always try to be myself and be happy. If I need to rest, I rest. If I need to go home, I go home. If you do that, that’s the best way to make sure you are happy and motivated and continue that.”
In April, Ochoa became the second- youngest player, behind Karrie Webb, to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame. It was one of the rare times she wasn’t first.
jbradley(at)buffnews.com |
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