Lorena Ochoa: No. 1 female golfer in the world

Photo credit: Courtesy of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

There were tears in her eyes when she announced her retirement. Lorena Ochoa was only 28 years old. But with two children at the time and plans for another one, she decided that family was more important than the glory of a professional athlete, which involved traveling abroad half the year for competitions. Now it was time to go home to Mexico.

The winner of 27 professional tournaments and two majors, she was ranked No. 1 in the world for 158 consecutive weeks — an unbroken record for the Ladies Professional Golf Association, or LPGA. She was also the first golfer, male or female, to be ranked No. 1 in the world. The fame and prize money would be hard for most people to give up, but Ochoa knew her priorities from an early age.

Ochoa was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, the daughter of Javier, a real estate developer, and Marella, an art teacher. She began playing at a country club next to her home when she was five, and won her first tournament at six. When she was 11, she approached pro champion Rafael Alarcon to coach her. He agreed, and the rest is history. 

A quick learner with a commitment to be the best in the world, she went on to win five national junior titles. In 2000, she enrolled at the University of Arizona, where she not only improved her English but also won the NCAA Player of the Year Award for 2001 and 2002. She was also chosen for All-Pac 10 First Team both of those years. 

In 2002, she set an NCAA record with seven consecutive victories in her first seven events. She was so successful on the college circuit that, despite her love for Tucson and the collegiate life, she committed to a professional career. It was a wise decision. She would go on to break records left and right. 

In 2004, she won two LPGA tour titles and became the first Mexican American to win on the LPGA tour. In 2006, she tied the world record for the lowest first-round score of any golfer, male or female, and was chosen as the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. She became the host of her own tournament, the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, which she continues to manage with her brother, Alejandro. 

With myriad professional wins, numerous world records and a comfortable financial cushion, she is now semi-retired. She is still active in the sport and plays in occasional charity events. She founded a school in her hometown of Guadalajara, called La Barranca, which serves underprivileged students. Finally, she spends quality time with her children, and enjoys the best of Mexican life: la familia, la comida, y el ambiente campestre of the Jalisco countryside.

Ochoa’s career is remarkable. And if that were the whole story, it would be enough to inspire all of us, including the next generation of young athletes. She is forever enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame — the youngest player to be so honored — but there is more. 

Greg Allen, her former coach at the University of Arizona, summed up what everyone who has worked with or competed with Ochoa remembers. It is a tribute to Mexico, her family and her upbringing. He said in a 2010 interview: “As good as Lorena Ochoa is at golf, she is 10 times as good a person off the golf course. Everyone one who has ever encountered Lorena loves her.”