Moments after Lorena Ochoa tapped in for par to win the Samsung World Championship, she saw her family and friends storming the 18th green at Bighorn in Palm Desert, Calif.
Her cousin wrapped a Mexican flag around her, and everyone else soaked her with champagne, just like they do whenever she wins on the LPGA Tour.
Ochoa took a huge step toward winning LPGA Tour player of the year, collecting all the big awards and possibly ushering in a new era in women’s golf. And she did it by soundly beating Annika Sorenstam, turning a three-shot deficit into a two-shot victory with a 7-under-par 65.
“It was probably my best round of golf in my professional career,” Ochoa said.
It was a jolt to Sorenstam.
The 36-year-old Swede has dominated women’s golf the past five years until hitting a few speed bumps this season. She contended in only one major, winning the U.S. Women’s Open, has won only three times and needed to finish the year strong to be LPGA player of the year for the sixth consecutive season.
Leading by three shots going into the final round, and by two shots at the turn, Sorenstam was rendered helpless by Ochoa. Ochoa twice holed long putts, including a 60-footer for birdie at No. 10 that banged into the back of the cup, then briefly hopped out before falling.
“I really don’t know what to say other than just to congratulate Lorena on a great performance and a great week and a great year,” Sorenstam said after closing with a 70 that featured three bogeys. “I’m probably as disappointed as you can be. It just doesn’t get any worse than this. I gave it all I had this week. She just played very, very well.”
Ochoa finished at 16-under 272 for her fifth victory of the year, tops on the LPGA Tour.
She took a commanding lead in the points-based Player of the Year award – Sorenstam or Karrie Webb likely would have to win their last two tournaments to have any chance of catching her.
Michelle Wie had more trouble in the desert and finished with a 75, her worst score on the LPGA Tour this year and her eighth consecutive round without breaking par. She finished 17th in the 20-player field.
Rookie wins PGA event
Rookie Troy Matteson shot a 3-under 69 to win the Frys.com Open in Las Vegas for his first PGA Tour victory.
Matteson held off Ben Crane and Daniel Chopra by one shot. He finished at 22-under 265
Elsewhere
Retief Goosen, a two-time U.S. Open winner, successfully defended his China Masters title, shooting a 1-under 71 to beat Michael Campbell by three strokes in Sanya. … Jay Haas won his sixth career Champions Tour title when rain forced the cancellation of the final round of the Administaff Small Business Classic in Spring, Texas. Haas shot a 9-under 63 on Saturday to take five-stroke lead at 17-under 128. … Brandt Snedeker won a playoff for the second time this season on the Nationwide Tour, birdieing the first extra hole to beat Australia’s Aron Price in the Permian Basin Charity Classic in Midland, Texas.
BATTLE to be THE BEST ON THE LPGA
How this season stacks up for Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam:
Ochoa Sorenstam
Money won $2,342,872 $1,906,126
Money ranking First Second
Events entered 22 18
Victories 5 3
Victories ranking First Third (tie)
Major victories 0 1
Scoring average * 69.36 69.84
Average birdies per round* 4.36 4.16
Birdies/round ranking* First 23rd
Sub-par holes ranking* First 21st
Player of year awards won 0 8
* = through Oct. 8 TRACKING RYAN MOORE
Sunday: Final round of PGA Tour’s Frys.com Open, TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas.
Final-round score: 7-over-par 79.
Recap: The Puyallup golfer finished tied for last among players who made the cut (85th) with Greg Kraft at 3-over-par 290, finishing 25 shots behind winner Troy Matteson. Moore earned $6,760 after an erratic final round. His score ballooned after taking consecutive triple-bogeys on his final nine. He recorded sevens on the par-4 No. 6 and No. 7 after opening his round on the back nine. He got a double-bogey six on the par-4 18th, and birdied three holes and bogeyed two.
Next: Moore is scheduled to play in the Funai Classic at the Walt Disney World Resort’s Magnolia Course, Thursday through Sunday.
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