Lorena Ochoa Wins Open Championship

[Bag Chatter]

The monkey is off her back, never again will Lorena Ochoa have to answer questions like, "when will you win your first major?" "Why do you collapse in the final round?" "How much of a lead to you need to feel safe on Sunday?" Lorena Ochoa is the Women's Open Champion. No one will ever be able to take that away from her.

In a performance only the number one women's golfer could produce, Ochoa ran away with the Open Championship, maintaining a sizeable lead all four days. Great players like Annika Sorenstam, Se Ri Pak, and defending champion Sherri Steinhauer challenged, but Ochoa distanced herself from the pack, and the questions began to change from "how can you win this major?" to, "how can Ochoa lose?" With a six shot lead at the beginning of the day, Ochoa's front nine assured her of the title, making the turn at -8. Even difficult rain and windy conditions on the back nine couldn't pry her grasp of the title.

 Ochoa's day began early with birdies on five and six, and although she bogied the seventh hole, a birdie on the ninth had her making the turn at -8. Despite three bogies on the front side, Ochoa's final round of 74 was more than enough to win her first major. "It's really hard to describe and I think it's not going to be easy to realize what just happened, but I'm just really thankful. It's been a blessing just the whole way, and a long way, too. I think it's for a reason and I couldn't be more happy. I love St. Andrews. I love to make history. It's going to be there for the rest of my life and a very special week," said Ochoa.

Aside from being the first major of Ochoa's career as well as the first Women's Open Championship held at St. Andrews, Ochoa is also the first Mexican born player to win a major on the LPGA. With her victory, Ochoa has also earned over $2 million for the season, becoming only the second player other than Annika Sorenstam to earn that distinction.

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