Here comes Ochoa

RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF.-  "She's baaack..." This was the general consensus of the gallery following the no. 1 player in women's golf on Thursday at the Kraft Nabisco. After an uncharacteristically abysmal start to the season (she's only managed one top-20 finish in three starts, and never broke 70 at last week's Kia Classic), Ochoa had everything going for her today and finished at four-under-par 68, currently good for second place.

*Of course, the gallery was stacked in Ochoa's favor. "This is crazy but I went the other day and asked for 50 tickets for my family at the tournament office," Ochoa admitted after her round. "I had 50 earlier and the rest are just friends. They come every year." No wonder; in nine starts at the Nabisco, Ochoa has six top-10s, including one win (in 2008). But no matter how well she does here this week, there's a party at the Ochoa crib every night. "Because it's Holy Week, there are a lot of relatives here. We're getting together pretty much every afternoon just spending time together and enjoying that we're all here together."

--Stina Sternberg