Ochoa notches 27th LPGA career win at Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV

Overcast skies and a threat of rain did not phase Lorena Ochoa in her quest for a successful title defense and $195,000 check at the $1.3 million Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV. The 6,546-yard Senator Course at Capitol Hill on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail set up well for the second year in a row for Ochoa (66-68-66-70), although she took her 54-hole, three-stroke lead and made it four by the end of regulation – avoiding the playoff situation she found herself in one year ago. Her winning 18-under-par 270 beat her 2008 tournament-record 15-under-par score by three strokes.

Ochoa’s 27th career LPGA win came despite an opening five holes that included a bogey on hole two, offset by a birdie on the par-4, fourth hole, followed by a double-bogey on the par-5, 517-yard fifth hole after her initial tee shot ended up unplayable.

“Of course it was a shame, that driver that I missed. It was early in the day. I just told myself to forget it. ‘You have many holes to go and just be patient,’” said Ochoa, who also successfully defended her last title in April at the Corona Championship. “I'm proud that I did that and turned around and played really good the back nine.

“But the way I played the last few weeks and winning today, it means a lot. I been working hard, and I guess I'm proud, because it's just a good feeling. I'm gonna try to repeat a few of those this year, and I try hard to win the player of the year.”

Tying their career-best performances, rookie Michelle Wie (66-70-72-66) and four-year Tour member Brittany Lang (68-68-68-70) tied for second at 14-under-par 274.

Wie, who battled a twisted ankle for the past two days found her only bogey of the day on the second hole and, after a 1-under-par 35 on the front nine, she rallied on the back to move from a 54-hole tie for 13th to the runner-up position thanks to five birdies on her back nine at holes 10, 12, 14, 16 and 17.

“I'm really proud of the way I grinded it out out there, especially the back nine,” said the season’s second-ranked rookie. “There (were) a lot of points where I felt like I had to stop and catch my breath and keep going. But, you know, I kept moving forward, so I felt really good about it.”

Lang’s first three rounds of 68s were broken with her 2-under-par 70. She ended the day encouraged, partly by the fact that she felt the score was the worst she could have posted.

“I didn't really finish exactly how I wanted to. I didn't make a lot of putts today. I hit it great again,” said Lang, who made her Solheim Cup debut in August and will play every event through the remainder of the year. “I hit it great. I had opportunities on every hole. Missed a couple five , six footers for birdie, parred hole eight. So kind of it was the worst I could – but I'm happy. It's something to build on. It was good.”

Tseng records 10th top-10 in 2009

The 2008 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year recorded her 10th top-10 finish in 23 starts at the Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV with a tie for fourth (71-63-71-70=275, -13). Five strokes out of first, but only one stroke back from runner-up golfers Brittany Lang (68-68-68-70) and Michelle Wie (66-70-72-66), Tseng earned $59,554 for her performance and became the ninth player this season to cross the $1 million mark in season earnings ($1,055,027).

Tseng, who won earlier this season at the LPGA Corning Classic, also became the fifth player in the three-year tournament history to card the tournament-record 9-under-par 63. She now leads the Tour with 324 birdies this season, over Cristie Kerr’s 317.

Lang crosses $2 million mark

Brittany Lang’s tie for second at the 2009 Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV not only meant a $101,453 paycheck, but also pushed her over the $2 million mark in career earnings. With 21 career LPGA top-10 finishes, including three runner-up performances, Lang (68-68-68-70) stayed steady through the week and went a field-high 50 rounds without a bogey – from the 10th hole of the first round to the 14th hole of Saturday’s third round.

Ochoa makes move in Rolex Player of the Year

The reigning LPGA Tour’s Rolex Player of the Year since 2006 and back-to-back Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV champion Lorena Ochoa made the 2009 race interesting with her victory. Ochoa entered the week sixth on Tour with 101 points. Her victory on Sunday was worth 30 points, however, and she is now just five points behind leader (and top rookie) Jiyai Shin, who has 136 points. Cristie Kerr, who tied for 17th at 9-under-par 279 (71-73-64-71), fell from second to third with 118 points.

Four tournaments remain for players to earn Rolex Player of the Year points, which are awarded to the top-10 finishers in each event and doubled at the LPGA’s four major championships.

Bader posts season-best

Beth Bader, of Iowa, recorded a season-best tie for fourth at the Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV with a 12-under-par 276. It is the best performance on the LPGA Tour for Bader since a tie for fourth at the 2007 LPGA Corning Classic. This week, she put together rounds of 70-69-70-67 for the $39,917 finish.

Thompson turns heads

Top-ranked junior Alexis Thompson proved her game at the 2009 Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV. The 14-year-old Floridian and her father drove to Prattville, Ala., to try to Monday qualify for the event. When the day came, she and amateur Jordan Hardy were the only two entries, therefore earning their way into the tournament proper. Starting off with a blazing 7-under-par 65 – a career-low – and following up with a 3-under-par 69, Thompson drew national attention for her game. She made the cut and with weekend rounds of 2-over-par 74, she finished at 6-under-par 282 for the week and tied for 27th. She will next compete in the American Junior Golf Association’s The PING Invitational at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla., Oct. 9-12.

Low amateur rounds in LPGA events, 1990-2009
64 – Erica Blasberg, second round, 2003 Welch’s/Fry’s Championship (T49)
Paula Creamer, second round, 2004 ShopRite LPGA Classic (T2)
65 – Stacy Lewis, 2007 NW Arkansas LPGA Championship (rain-shortened to 18 holes)
Louise Stahle, second round, 2005 Weetabix Women’s British Open (T8)
Alexis Thompson, first round, 2009 Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV

Pressel cards first-round hole-in-one

Two-time LPGA Tour winner Morgan Pressel carded her third LPGA career hole-in-one in four seasons on Tour during Thursday’s opening round of the Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV. Pressel aced her second hole of the day from 154 yards with a 6-iron. It was the 21st hole-in-one during the LPGA Tour’s 2009 campaign, fourth in tournament history and the third time in as many years that someone made a hole-in-one on the second hole of The Senator Course at Capitol Hill on the RTJ Golf Trail. In 2007, Virada Nirapathpongporn used a 5-iron from 176 yards and, in 2008, it was breast cancer survivor Wendy Doolan with a 9-iron from 153 yards.

Pressel finished the event tied for 19th at 8-under-par 280 (69-72-70-69).