| | |  News Around the Republic of Mexico | November 2009 
GOLF: Ochoa Suddenly has Some Competition
 Stephen Wade - Associated Press
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November 13, 2009
| | Lorena Ochoa of Mexico tees off on the sixth hole during the first round of her Lorena Ochoa Invitational golf tournament at Guadalajara Country Club November 12, 2009. (Reuters/Alejandro Acosta) | |
Guadalajara, Mexico - Lorena Ochoa has been the LPGA's player of the year three consecutive times, a string that could end this week at her own tournament.
Threatening to ruin the party at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational is 21-year-old South Korean Jiyai Shin, who already won the rookie of the year award and leads Ochoa by four points in the player of the year contest.
"It's been a year with a little bit more ups and downs," said Ochoa, the game's top-ranked player. "The great thing is that I have the opportunity to be player of the year again. It's going to be tough."
Shin has won three times this season and three times last year on the LPGA Tour before she was even a member, including a victory in the 2008 Women's British Open. If she wins Ochoa's tournament on Sunday - and Ochoa finishes eighth or lower - Shin will be the player of the year.
The last player to pull off the double was Nancy Lopez in 1978.
Shin also leads the season money list with $1.7 million, ahead of Japan's Ai Miyazato with $1.5 million. Ochoa is fifth at $1.3 million.
No South Korean has finished No. 1 on the money list, and no Korean has been player of the year. Shin is the sixth Korean to win rookie of the year.
"At the beginning of the season my goal was rookie of the year," Shin said. "But I've already made that and now I have a chance for player of the year, too. There's no pressure because I have already made my goal. Player of the year is a bonus thing for me."
Besides Shin and Ochoa, a few others have mathematical chances at player of the year, but are long shots. They include Cristie Kerr, Miyazato, Yani Tseng, Suzann Pettersen and Angela Stanford.
The 27-year-old Ochoa has won three times this season but failed to contend in any of the four majors. She acknowledged planning for her marriage next month and other off-course obligations have been a distraction.
"I'm going to try to play like it's any other week," Ochoa said. "I'll concentrate on my game and leave all the distractions outside the ropes."
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