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| Lorena Ochoa, working on her game Wednesday at Saucon Valley, said the tougher the challenge, the more she's inclined to take it head on. (John Mummert/USGA) |
The world No. 1 loves the Women's Open - really, she does - now all she needs is to win the championship
By Dave Shedloski
Bethlehem, Pa. – Lorena Ochoa admits to having an affinity for the U.S. Women’s Open that belies her experiences in it.
Only 27 years old, the talented Mexican golfer already has had eight cracks at America’s national championship, seven as a professional. But while she has been a dominant force in the women’s game the last five years – winning 24 of her 26 LPGA titles between 2004 and 2008 – the most storied title has continued to elude her. And has rubbed her nose in it, too.
Two years ago she finished runner-up to Christie Kerr at Pine Needles, in Pinehurst, N.C., but that was nothing compared to the heartbreaking setback in ’05 at Cherry Hills, when she suffered a quadruple bogey on the home hole to end up tied for sixth, four behind Birdie Kim.
Those constitute her only top-10 finishes in the Women's Open. It just hasn’t been her championship. To be fair, she has won two other majors -- the 2008 Kraft Nabisco and the ’07 Women’s British Open -- so she has learned how to win the big ones.
And yet, when the 68th U.S. Women’s Open begins Thursday at Saucon Valley Country Club, Ochoa might be one of the happiest of the 156 competitors who will take on the stern and sturdy Old Course.
“The tougher it is, the better I think for me,” said Ochoa, the top-ranked player in the women’s game according to the Rolex Rankings. “I like the setup of the U.S. Opens very much. I think it’s so tough that it eliminates a lot of players. I enjoy the challenge, though, and I like the golf courses we play. I love the tournament.”
Never mind that the event hasn’t exactly reciprocated.
Other than her performance at Pine Needles, when she finished at 3-under 281, Ochoa hasn’t finished below par in the Women's Open (even though her season scoring averages have ventured below 70 the last four seasons). Last year at Interlachen Country Club she never got untracked, never broke par, and tied for 31st, trailing winner Inbee Park by 14 strokes.
Having not contended in the first two majors of ’09 -- finishing 12th and 19th, respectively, at the Kraft Nabisco and McDonald’s LPGA Championship -- Ochoa might understandably be a little more anxious when the gun goes off for her 7:55 a.m. tee time at No. 10.
A chat with her coach, Rafael Alarcon, helped her mental state.
“For the week of the U.S. Open you want to say, probably, a hundred things (to think about), but he just said keep it simple. Just try to go out there and enjoy. You’ve been practicing good, and just trust that your game is in a good position right now,” Ochoa said Wednesday afternoon before her final practice round. “That’s what I am trying to do. I think it’s very important for me to get back, to get a rhythm, and I’m feeling good right now. I can’t wait to start playing tomorrow.”
The Rolex Player of the Year three times running, Ochoa said she didn’t feel a need to change her game or routine for the Women's Open, despite her disappointments at the year’s previous two majors.
“Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t,” she shrugged.
Like all top players, Ochoa attaches special meaning to the grand slam tournaments. Great players, of course, feel the pressure to perform and have high expectations. Ochoa is still getting used to the fact that she is the No. 1 player, even though she has held that distinction for several years now.
In fact, she doesn’t feel like she’s No. 1.
“It’s never easy. I’m still learning,” admitted Ochoa, who thus far in ’09 leads the LPGA in scoring average at 69.77, and has two victories among her six top-10s. “I think I get better with time.
Competition is tough, and we all know that, and we know good players are coming. I’m just trying to practice harder and harder. I already won two tournaments, but I’m not at the top this year. I want to make sure I continue playing tournaments and get better, every week be consistent, so at the end of the year I’m at the No. 1 position like I like.”
Asked if it was a priority for her to win the career grand slam, Ochoa smiled broadly. Some questions beget obvious answers
“Very high,” she said firmly. “From 1 to 10 [on a scale], 10. Majors is what makes really a good player, and I never won this tournament before, so I’m going to make sure I give myself a good chance and, hopefully, it happens for me. I feel good.”
And she feels good about the U.S. Women's Open – no matter how bad it has made her feel in the past.
Dave Shedloski is a freelance writer whose work has previously appeared on www.uswomensopen.com.
