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LGPA golfer continues to wow crowd

By: Jena Donlin Posted: 06/19/08 9:33pm

After her Kraft Nabisco Championship win at Mission Hills Country Club, Lorena Ochoa and a lot of friends jumped into the lake surrounding the 18th green. Ochoa, the world No. 1 and Wegmans LPGA defending champ, has been taking the world by storm, but nobody seems to notice.

Alan Shipnuck, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, noticed Ochoa’s anonymity as she worked her way into the New York Stock Exchange to ring the opening bell before competing in the nearby Sybase Classic.

He wrote that Ochoa patiently explained to the door guard she was Lorena Ochoa — the golfer. Eventually, the stock exchange personnel straightened matters out, as Ochoa signed a few autographs and rang the bell, barely making a scene on the chaotic exchange floor.

This weekend, Ochoa, 26, will compete in Wegmans LPGA. At Wegmans LPGA last year, Ochoa defeated rookie In-Kyung Kim on the second extra hole. She has defended two tournaments this year: Safeway International and Sybase Classic, and is poised to add Wegmans LPGA to this list.

Two weeks ago at the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, Annika Sorenstam and Ochoa tied for third, falling one stroke behind Ya-Ni Tseng and Maria Hjorth. But Ochoa has the upper hand. Nineteen-year-old rookie Tseng is making her first appearance at Wegmans LPGA, Sorenstam is ready to retire and Michelle Wie has only played in two LPGA tournaments due to a wrist injury.

Ochoa has a chance to become the fastest LPGA player in one season to cross the $2 million-mark, but it’s not going to be easy. After the first round of playing, the scoreboard is stacked.

Ochoa ended the day unexceptionally even with Tseng. Sorenstam and Hjorth are one stroke behind, while Wie is one stroke above Ochoa with minus one. It’s too early to tell, but this weekend could see Ochoa killing her competitors with kindness.

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