Ochoa targets calendar grand slam of majors

RANCHO MIRAGE, California: World No 1 Lorena Ochoa confidently set her sights on a sweep of this year's four majors after coasting to a five-shot victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Sunday.

The Mexican clinched her 20th LPGA title with a commanding performance at Mission Hills Country Club, evoking comparisons with the equally dominant men's No 1 Tiger Woods.

Ochoa became the first woman to win back-to-back majors since Swede Annika Sorenstam at the 2005 McDonald's LPGA Championship, having clinched her maiden Grand Slam title at last year's Women's British Open.

Asked by reporters if she could win a calendar sweep this season, Ochoa replied matter-of-factly: "Yes."

The 26-year-old from Guadalajara was then asked who or what could prevent her from adding to her burgeoning tally of tournament victories.

"I'd like to believe nothing and nobody," she said.

"I know this is just the beginning of the year and I know I put up some high goals this year, but I want to try to keep going and let the momentum flow.

"Right now I'm going to celebrate tonight but I'll be ready 100 percent on Monday to win in Morelia," she added, referring to this week's Corona Championship in Mexico.

"I will just do one good week at a time and I really believe I can win any tournament I play."

Ochoa has triumphed three times in just four starts on the 2008 LPGA Tour by a remarkable aggregate margin of 23 strokes.

Feeling comfortable

"I feel that I'm prepared and it's not something that happened in one morning," she said after firing a 5-under-par 67 in Sunday's final round.

"It took me five years to get to the top and I really feel comfortable with the position.

"It's definitely tough, probably tougher than I thought, but it's worth it. I'm going to enjoy my time at the top as much as I can because it's really been a blessing."

She conceded she had learned important lessons by winning her first two majors. "I've learned that I can go low and win a tournament by a few shots and I'm going to try to continue that," she added.

"I played today like any other day in the tournament. I didn't have in my mind like: 'Oh, my God, it's a major.' I just played like any other day and I think that's why I played so easy and enjoyed the round so much."

In the manner of 13-time major winner Woods, though, Ochoa is always looking to improve her game.

"There are things that you can improve every week," she said. "Yesterday I missed a few putts and the day before I three-putted a couple of times.

"There's always room to improve. I am going to change. I'm going to try to just keep getting better and hopefully win a lot of tournaments. That's the goal."

Agencies

(China Daily 04/08/2008 page24)