Ochoa Wins in Mexico; Qualifies for Hall of Fame

Ochoa dominated the field for the fourth time this season, winning by 11 strokes for the second time in two months.

Lorena Ochoa finished at 25-under-par at Tres Marias Residential Golf Club to claim her 21st career title and fulfill the points requirement for the LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame. Photo courtesy: rolex.com

MORELIA, Mexico - Some sports call it home-field advantage, but for Mexico's Lorena Ochoa it was more like home-country advantage this week at the Corona Championship.

The 26-year-old finished at 25-under-par (66-66-66-69=267) at Tres Marias Residential Golf Club to claim her 21st career title and fulfill the points requirement for the LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame. She now must complete 10 years on Tour before she can officially enter the Hall.

“It was an amazing week,” Ochoa said. “I did enjoy myself a lot. It was really special to be here in my home country.”

Ochoa started the day with three birdies on the front nine, but a triple bogey on 11, combined with four consecutive birdies on holes eight through 11 by final group partner Inbee Park (69-64-72-74=279), created a six-shot swing against the world number one. Ochoa bounced back with back-to-back birdies on holes 13, 14, 16 and 18 to finish her day.

The Rolex Rankings number one dominated the field for the fourth time this season, winning by 11 strokes for the second time in two months (HSBC Singapore). In four victories this season, she has accumulated a 34-stroke margin of defeat – 11 more than her combined total after eight wins in 2007. With her $195,000 payday, she became the fastest player (five events) to top the $1 million mark in season earnings, bettering Annika Sorenstam's record of six events, set in 2005.

Choi, Reis land spots in Ginn OPEN:

Na Yeon Choi gained entrance into next week's Ginn OPEN field with a tie for fifth at the Corona Championship. Choi finished the week at 12-under-par (69-68-71-72=280). Non-exempt LPGA members can gain entrance into the following week's field by finishing in the top-10 the week prior. Choi also extended her lead in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race to 146 points over Yani Tseng.

Sweden's Nina Reis fired a final-round 68 to move into a tie for ninth place, also good for a spot in next week's Ginn OPEN. Reis fired rounds of 78-70-71-68=287 to make the top-10 by one stroke and earn a trip to Orlando. Reis carded six birdies and one bogey on the day. She also matched her career-best finish of a tie for ninth (2006 State Farm Classic).

Career-best finishes:

South Korean Song-Hee Kim (66-69-71-72=278) finished the week at 14-under in second place, 11 strokes behind champion Lorena Ochoa. Her previous career-best was a tie for 15th at this season's Fields Open in Hawaii. Kim was tied for the first-round lead with Ochoa at 7-under 66 and never fell lower than third place on the week. Kim turned professional in 2006 and she earned rookie of the year honors and won five events on the Duramed FUTURES Tour.

Kristy McPherson (75-71-71-66=283) recorded a career-best seventh place finish at 9-under-par this week at the Corona Championship. A second year LPGA member, McPherson tied her career-low of 66 with eight birdies and a lone bogey in the final round on Sunday. Her previous career-best was a tie for 18th at the 2007 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger.

2005 champion Koch goes low in final round:

Carin Koch, the winner of the inaugural Corona Championship in 2005, fired a final-round 66 to move into a tie for fifth at the 2008 Corona Championship. Koch notched eight birdies, including four in a row from holes six through nine, to shoot her lowest round since the 2005 Weetabix Women's British Open where she recorded a 66 in the third round.

Gustafson records six eagles in four rounds:

Six-time European Solheim Cup Team member Sophie Gustafson recorded six eagles in four rounds of play at the Corona Championship. She matched the single-round record of three set by Alice Ritzman (1979 Colgate European Open) and Nina Reis (2006 Safeway Classic Presented by Pepsi). The Swede finished in a tie for 11th place at 4-under-par (70-73-71-74=288).

Source: LPGA.com

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