Ochoa sets sights on 3rd major

2008-06-04 07:45

Havre De Grace - World number one Lorena Ochoa returned from an emotional visit home to Mexico ready to resume her quest for an unprecedented grand slam in women's golf at this week's LPGA Championship.

Ochoa - winner of the year's first major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship and the 2007 British Open at St Andrews that preceded it - withdrew from last week's Ginn Tribute tournament in South Carolina after her uncle, Pedro, suffered a stroke.

She travelled home to Guadalajara but was unable to make it back before he died.

"I went home on Wednesday morning," Ochoa, 26, told reporters on Tuesday. "Unfortunately my uncle passed away on Wednesday morning. I didn't get a chance to see him.

"But it was nice to be home for my dad and with my whole family and my relatives. We are a very close family. Of course, it was very tough, but in a way, I feel at peace and I spent time with them."

Ochoa said she now was eager to begin the next step of her grand slam pursuit at the Pete Dye-designed Bulle Rock course.

"I'm very motivated," she said. "I really want to play good, and in a way, it was good to have a little bit of a break and just relax and get away from golf and try and see everything in a positive way."

Regulation

Ochoa has been positively brilliant this year with wins in six of nine events played and top-10 finishes in two others.

She ranks first on the LPGA Tour in reaching greens in regulation, in sand saves and in driving distance, and is second in putts per green, birdies and eagles.

The Mexican does not shy from talk about a sweep of the women's majors and hopes to land all four in 2008.

"Of course, I think it's possible, and I have it in my head," Ochoa said. "Those things only happen a few times in your career and here I am and I'm going to make sure I give it a good try.

No woman has completed a calendar grand slam but Babe Zaharias won the three women's events considered majors in 1950 - the US Women's Open, the Titleholders Championship and the Western Open.

Mickey Wright won four in a row over two years - the 1961 US Women's Open and LPGA Championship, and the 1962 Titleholders Championship and Western Open.

"I think it's something very special.... I really want to do that," she said about accomplishing the feat. "I want to break a few records.

"It's more important now for my family. I'd love to give them some joy, so I have many motivations."

- Reuters