Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce

9/29/2008 - Ochoa wins Navistar LPGA Classic in Prattville

Playoff payoff
Ochoa wins 1st title in 4 months

By A. Stacy Long
slong1@gannett.com

PRATTVILLE -- The green, white and red Mexican flag flew proudly over Capitol Hill on Sunday.

Lorena Ochoa, the world's No. 1 player and the pride of her country, won the Navistar LPGA Classic on a second playoff hole and ended a four-month championship drought with her 24th career title.

"This one is going to be a good one for me," Ochoa said. "It was a tough summer and I'm just trying to come back and finish strong. This was an important day for my career."

Ochoa defeated Candie Kung and Cristie Kerr, who both birdied No. 18 to join Ochoa at 15-under-par 273 and force the playoff.

The three repeated the par-4, 411-yard 18th to break the tie.

Kerr bogeyed it and fell out of the playoff, while Kung and Ochoa repeated it again after pars. When Kung three-putted from the lower level of the 18th green, Ochoa two-putted from about 20 feet to win.

It was her first title since May's Sybase Classic in New Jersey and only the second time in seven chances that she's won a playoff.

"I was just kind of feeling that this was my time," Ochoa said. "I never got too much pressure, and I was just trying to enjoy it.

"I had a good feeling that it was my day, and it was going to happen."

Ochoa, who had a share of the third-round lead, shot a 2-under 70 Sunday, while Kung and Kerr chased her.

Kung and Kerr sank similar putts on No. 18 to get to 15 under and advance to the playoff. Both made 20-footers after hitting past the hole -- and over a crest in the green that haunted them later.

"I was happy that I got myself to the playoff," Kung said. "I didn't even know how big that putt was on 18.

"It was fun in the playoff with Lorena and Cristie. I'd just love to be in this position more often."

On the first playoff hole, Kerr's second shot landed on the crest, but spun back and retreated onto the green's lower level. It left her more than 40 feet from the hole and she three-putted.

Kerr, who has five Top-10 finishes in the last six tournaments, had a six-birdie 66 Sunday after starting the day tied for 11th. Kung was tied for eighth before carding a 5-under 67.

Shanshan Feng and Song-Hee Kim tied for fourth at 14-under 274. Louise Friberg, the co-leader with Ochoa after Saturday, shot an even-par 72 and finished in a five-way tie for sixth at 13 under.

"I am happy. It wasn't easy," Ochoa said. "If you look at the leader board, a lot of players were up there one and two shots behind."

Ochoa had two hiccups that could have kept her from the playoff. On the par-4 12th, she drove to the right of the green, pitched back on the fairway and bogeyed.

The par-5 17th featured a hazardous far-right pin placement, so Ochoa aimed left and barely cleared the hazard. She parred.

"I was going to the left side and I didn't have an option," Ochoa said. "It was too far because of the lie I had, and the pin was playing uphill.

"I just wanted to go left, play safe and try to make the up-and-down."

Ochoa, who has seven tournament championships this season, flies to California today for this week's Samsung World Championship. She's the defending champion.

"It's been a little slow in the last few months," Ochoa said. "I'm glad I did it this week. Hopefully, I'll get in a good rhythm, keep it going and finish strong."

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