Five shot swing sees Ochoa win Samsung
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2006 Samsung World Championship | Wrap | 16 Oct 2006
Lorena Ochoa, who seven days ago proved to be the darling of her home fans in Mexico, today added to her rapidly growing support base when she came from behind to beat the world number on Annika Sorenstam in the final round of the Samsung World Championship of Women’s Golf in California.
With a three shot lead over Ochoa heading into the final day, most felt that Sorenstam would go on and win this event for the third consecutive year. After all she had taken a lead into the final round 68 times in her career and won on 47 of those occasions. Her conversion ratio when heading into the final round in more recent times has been even more stunning.
Ochoa, who is in the best form of her relatively short career however, had other ideas. When she holed from twenty feet at the first and then again at the second to save par, it was clear that Ochoa was zeroed in on the greens and when she holed from forty feet for eagle at the third she had closed the gap to two.
Sorenstam herself had also made a good start but at the fifth, the first of three two shot swings occurred in Ochoa’s favour and the pair was locked at 13 under. Sorenstam went two ahead by the turn with birdies at the 7th and 9th but immediately after making the turn Ochoa picked up birdies at the 10th and 11th and after Sorenstam missed from short range at the 10th, the Mexican was ahead for the first time.
The par five 5th would prove crucial in the final outcome. Both players drove it long but were on the limit as far as reaching the green bordered to its left by water. Both decided to lay up but Sorenstam hit a poor pitch from 70 yards and when she was then unable to get up and down, Ochoa took full advantage by holing a twenty foot putt for birdie and the difference was three.
Sorenstam kept Ochoa honest with a lengthy birdie putt of her own at the par three 16th to reduce the difference to two but margin was too much for the defending champion to make up and Ochoa’s rock solid par at the 18th was enough to see her win her fifth event of the season and all but secure Player of the Year honours.
It was a fitting result for the beautifully gifted Ochoa who will now take a break rather than head to Thailand, Korea and Japan with the LPGA Tour in coming weeks. Her next event is likely to be at the Tournament of Champions beginning on November 12th.
Sophie Gustafson continued what has been a better run of form in recent weeks when she finished third ahead of Stacy Prammanasudh.
The only Australian in the field Karrie Webb had a poor weekend after a good start to the tournament and finished tied for 13th in the twenty player field.
Photo – Anthony Powter
