Lorena Ochoa matched an LPGA record with her fourth-consecutive victory by capturing the US$2.6 million Ginn Open on Sunday by three strokes over Taiwan’s Yani Tseng.
Ochoa fired a final-round three-under 69 to finish 72 holes on 19-under 269, giving the Mexican star her fifth win in six events this year, while 19-year-old Tseng struggled down the back nine to finish with a 71 and 272.
The world’s top-ranked player, Ochoa also won for the fifth time in six events this year. She was coming off an astounding 11-shot victory last week at the Corona Championship.
PHOTO : AP
“I think I’m hitting my irons really good and I keep giving myself birdie chances,” Ochoa said. “I did miss a lot of putts today. But definitely, I won the tournament because of my second shots, just being so consistent.”
Tseng opened with back-to-back birdies and another at the fifth hole, but followed with a bogey at the sixth while Ochoa, who began with a one-shot lead, birdied the third hole and began a run of three birdies in a row at the eighth.
Tseng eagled the 10th to keep the pressure on Ochoa, but was undone by birdies at 13, 15 and 17. Ochoa finished with seven pars and a bogey at the 15th, holding on for the triumph.
Ochoa won last week’s Corona in her homeland and followed up by taking her 22nd career title. She has not blown a lead entering the final round since last year.
Ochoa became the first woman to win four straight titles since Annika Sorenstam in 2001. Mickey Wright (1961 and 1962) and Katey Whitworth (1969) also won four straight events.
Sorenstam (2004 and 2005) and Nancy Lopez (1978) share the tour record with five straight victories in events entered. However, neither of those came in consecutive weeks.
Ochoa will take a break next week when she sits out the Stanford Invitation Pro-Am. She is scheduled to play again in two weeks in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“I survived. I was tired, mentally and physically tired,” Ochoa said. “I didn’t have my legs at the end for the last two or three holes. I’m just glad I hung in there and was able to finish strong. For sure, I’m ready to take a break.”
With the pressure mounting, Tseng struggled down the stretch but still managed the best showing of her career with her second-place finish.
“I almost caught up, but on the last couple of holes, I just made some bad putts,” Tseng said. “I’m not really disappointed, because I think it was a good experience. I still have a long way to go and I want to keep learning and learning.”
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to