Golf
World No 1 Ochoa looking for marriage, family, golf
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-19 09:08
GUADALAJARA, Mexico: Lorena Ochoa is having one of the best years of her life and it has nothing to do with being ranked No 1 in golf.
She's getting married next month in her hometown, which will be a boon for Mexico's edition of Hola magazine. Her engagement was front-page news in every paper in the country. But the pending marriage hasn't helped the struggling US LPGA Tour, which needs a dominant star.
Ochoa's won only three times - compared to 21 times in the previous three seasons including two majors - and didn't contend in any of the four majors. Shin Ji-yai of South Korea is about to take the player of the year award, which Ochoa has claimed three straight times.
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"For me, personally, it's been a better year (than the past three)," Ochoa said at her tournament. "If you are talking about the results on the golf course, for sure it's not the best year for me. But what's important is I am happy."
In Mexico, she's the country's highest profile athlete - except for football stars Rafa Marquez of Barcelona or Cuauhtemoc Blanco of the Chicago Fire - and expected to win every tournament.
But Ochoa has been candid. She is traveling more, playing less and has more off-course obligations, which include her charity foundation. She's also planning to move from Guadalajara to Mexico City after her marriage to Andres Conesa, the CEO of Aeromexico airline - one of her sponsors.
Conesa has three children from a previous marriage, so she'll step into a ready-made family.
"Personally, the things that I do outside of the golf course are more important," she said. "And that is my main focus right now."
Ochoa may follow the path of former No 1 Annika Sorenstam, who married this year just weeks after ending her career. She gave birth to a baby girl in September.
"I will think about a family but later on," said Ochoa, who was often described as a "great ambassador" and an "awesome person" by other players.
Brittany Lincicome says Ochoa hasn't changed this season, except she seems "more stretched with other things". Lincicome said Ochoa has stopped coming to meetings of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
"She said she just did not have time," Lincicome said. "I mean, she is still religious but she told us she had other obligations."
With all the distractions, Ochoa's weak spot on the course was probably her putting. She complained about it last week at her tournament, yet was seldom seen practising on the putting green. Paula Creamer, who finished second to Wie, made a point about how much time she spends on the practise greens.
"You see it with No 1 players in the world," Angela Stanford said. "There are a lot more demands on their time. ... I can't imagine planning a wedding and then also being the No 1 player in the world and carrying that with you. I'm sure it's gotta be a lot more difficult."
Ochoa recovered from a deep, midseason slump marked by one of the worst rounds of her career - an 8-over 79 in the second round of the US Women's Open. In early October, she won the Navistar Classic for her third victory. She shot 8-under 64 in the final round of the Mizuno Classic this month to finish second.
Ochoa's been No 1 for 2 1/2 years, and she'll stay there heading into next season no matter what she does at this week's season-ending LPGA Tour Championship in Houston.
AP
