By Ron Sirak
Photo By Alfredo Estella/Getty Images
March 28, 2008
Lorena Ochoa has emerged clearly as the best player in women's golf over the last two years, with 15 victories since April 2006, and she also has learned a lesson understood by all who want to be considered among the best of all time: Major championships are what matter most. Ochoa shed the "can't-win-the-big-one" label last year at the Ricoh Women's British Open, but her victory also marked the 10th consecutive LPGA major won by a different player, the longest such streak in nearly 20 years. The Kraft Nabisco Championship next week offers an opportunity not only for Ochoa to string together back-to-back majors, but also provides an opportunity for a fistful of contenders to stake a claim as the kind of competitor who plays best when it matters most.
Perhaps the best indication of the depth of talent in the women's game is that since Karrie Webb won the 2002 Women's British Open, the last 20 majors have been captured by 15 different players and only Annika Sorenstam has multiple triumphs (six). That is a far cry from the 1998 through 2003 stretch when Webb (six), Sorenstam, Se Ri Pak and Juli Inkster (four apiece) won 18 of the 24 majors contested. Last year four first-timers took home the most coveted trophies, with Cristie Kerr (U.S. Women's Open), Suzann Pettersen (McDonald's LPGA Championship) and defending Kraft Nabisco champion Morgan Pressel joining Ochoa in the winner's circle. While Ochoa is the runaway No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings, the majors remain a mad scramble.
The mercurial Mexican has won 18 LPGA events, but she has only one major trophy on the mantel of her home in Guadalajara. In many ways Ochoa's situation is similar to Sorenstam's going into the 2001 season. Through her first seven full seasons on tour, the Swede had won 23 LPGA events, but had captured no majors since winning the U.S Women's Open in 1995 and '96, going 0-for-17 and leading some players to whisper that she was fattening her résumé on regular tournaments. Sorenstam dispensed with that criticism by winning eight of the next 24 majors as she picked up 46 more LPGA wins from 2001 through '06.
"I have 70 wins," the 37-year-old said after capturing this year's opening event at the SBS Open in Hawaii. "I have accomplished a lot in my career. What I want is to win more majors." With several business ventures underway, an April 2009 wedding date with Mike McGee penciled in and a family in the plans, Sorenstam has limited opportunities left to add to her collection of major trophies.
Last year's injury-plagued season was her first without a major since 2000. With 10 on her résumé, Sorenstam is tied for fourth all-time with Babe Zaharias, one behind Louise Suggs, three short of Mickey Wright and trailing Patty Berg's record of 15 by five. Also looking to add to their impressive major championship records at next week's Kraft Nabisco at Mission Hills GC in Rancho Mirage, Calif., are Webb and Juli Inkster, who have seven each.
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