COMMENT: The king is dead...

TIGER WOODS is old news. For all the talk, build-up and speculation of a Grand Slam being well within the reach of the men’s World No 1, it all fizzled out when Trevor Immelman strode up the 18^th fairway of Augusta National loosening his shoulders ready for that Green Jacket to be slipped over them.

Now, following the first women’s Major of the year we have a new superstar to focus on – Lorena Ochoa.

It should have been obvious from the start, especially in the way that she ruled the LPGA in 2007, but prior to the Kraft Nabisco Championship she had escaped the content of questions that Woods was batting back on a daily, if not hourly, basis.

And with her second Major firmly in the trophy cabinet, she already hold’s the Ricoh Women’s British Open title, the Ochoa-slam is very much on the cards. It’s now three weeks since she took that famous leap into Poppie’s Pond at Dinah Shore and, deservedly so, is taking a well earned break.

That’s because the Mexican has had possibly one of the best four-week stints the LPGA has ever seen. First up, at the end of March she successfully defended her Safeway International title and then claimed her second Major at the Kraft Nabisco at the beginning of April.

From there she travelled home to Mexico on a wave of confidence and blew the rest of the field away with a winning margin of 11 strokes before tying things up at the Ginn Open. Not even Tiger has come out four weeks in a row and won each time!

In just six events of her season so far she has won five, a tie for eighth at the Mastercard Classic the only blot on her copy book, and has already amassed almost .5 million. She is undisputedly the world number one.

But the questions that are on the lips of journalists, fans and even players are; Can she first complete the Ochoa-slam and then possible be the first women to ever complete the Grand Slam?

The first of those questions will be answered in little under two months time when the McDonald’s LPGA Championship (5-8) and the US Women’s Open (26-29) make the month of June completely unmissable.

Should she claim that third Major, and all the evidence is pointing to her taking that crown from Suzann Pettersen, the pressure will be immense for the US Open.

Ochoa previously had a tendency to crack when it came to the Majors and some journalists branded her a choker, they now have enough egg on their faces to make a cracking omelet. If it does comes to the crunch, I believe she has enough inner strength to come through the other side and make The Ricoh at Sunningdale one of the most memorable and thrilling Majors for years to come.

By Will Spence