Who is Lorena Ochoa?

Lorena Ochoa is Mexico’s greatest ever golfer, with two major titles and 27 LPGA Tour wins across a glittering ten-year career.

Born in November 1981 in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, Ochoa began playing from a young age and she was born to play. She won five consecutive titles at the Junior World Golf Championships before then studying at the University of Arizona. She played there for two years, being named NCAA Player of the Year in both seasons before turning professional in 2002.

After an incredible debut season on the Futures Tour, where she won three times and was named both Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year, Ochoa made the jump to the LPGA Tour. She was named Rookie of the Year in 2003, making it back-to-back ROTY awards. Ochoa went on to win 27 times on the LPGA Tour over the next seven seasons, before retiring from professional golf in 2010.

The Mexican was twice a major champion, the crowning moments of her career. Her first major title came at the 2007 Women’s British Open on the Old Course at St Andrews, as she went wire-to-wire to become the first Mexican to win a major championship. She backed it up by winning the Kraft Nabisco Championship (now Chevron Championship) just eight months later, becoming the first player since Annika Sorenstam to win consecutive major tournaments.

Lorena Ochoa | Legends Profile

Personal Information

Name: Lorena Ochoa Reyes
Born: November 15, 1981
Nationality: Mexico
Residence: Mexico City, Mexico

Career

College: University of Arizona
Turned Pro: 2002
Professional Wins: 30
Highest World Ranking: 1 – April 23, 2007

Best Results In Majors

Best Finishes:
– Chevron Championship – WON (2008)
– Women’s PGA Championship – T3 (2008)
– US Women’s Open – T2 (2007)
– AIG Women’s Open – WON (2007)

Professional Wins – 30

2002 (3) – JWA/Michelob Light FUTURES Charity Golf Classic, Ann Arbor FUTURES Classic, Betty Puskar Futures Golf Classic
2004 (2) – Franklin American Mortgage Championship, Wachovia LPGA Classic
2005 (1) – Wegmans Rochester LPGA
2006 (6) – LPGA Takefuji Classic, Sybase Classic, Wendy’s Championship for Children, Corona Morelia Championship, Samsung World Championship, The Mitchell Company Tournament of Champions
2007 (8) – Safeway International, Sybase Classic, Wegmans LPGA, Women’s British Open, CN Canadian Women’s Open, Safeway Classic, Samsung World Championship, ADT Championship
2008 (7) – HSBC Women’s Champions, Safeway International, Kraft Nabisco Championship, Corona Championship, Ginn Open, Sybase Classic, Navistar LPGA Classic
2009 (3) – Honda LPGA Thailand, Corona Championship, Navistar LPGA Classic

Achievements and Awards

Futures Tour Rookie of the Year – 2002
Future Tour Player of the Year – 2002
LPGA Rookie of the Year – 2003
LPGA Rolex Player of the Year – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
LPGA Vare Trophy – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
LPGA Tour Money List Leader – 2006, 2007, 2008
GWAA Female Player of the Year – 2006, 2007, 2008
AP Female Athlete of the Year – 2006, 2007
Bob Jones Award – 2011
World Golf Hall of Fame – 2017

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Lorena Ochoa

When and where was Lorena Ochoa born?

Lorena Ochoa was born in the Mexican city of Guadalajara in November 1981. She took up golf at an early age, and was destined for stardom.

When did Lorena Ochoa turn professional?

Lorena Ochoa turned professional in 2002 after spending just a couple of years at the University of Arizona, where she won pretty much everything she could – including being named the NCAA Player of the Year in both 2001 and 2002.

How many major titles has Lorena Ochoa won?

Ochoa is a two-time major champion. Her first major title came at the Women’s British Open in 2007, before then winning the Kraft Nabisco Championship a year later. Those are part of a career that saw her win 30 times, including 27 wins on the LPGA Tour.

Who is Lorena Ochoa married to?

Lorena Ochoa is married to Andres Conesa Labastida, the CEO of Mexican airline Aeromexico. The pair have had three children.

Did you Know?

Two Wins, Two Missed Cuts

Ochoa won two major championships – the Kraft Nabisco Championship and the Women’s British Open. Incredibly, over the course of her ten-year career, she only missed two cuts in major championships, with one of those coming in her debut appearance at the 2000 US Women’s Open. Overall, Ochoa had 18 top tens in majors – showing incredible consistency.

Four Consecutive LPGA POTY Awards

Ochoa’s incredible form between 2006 and 2009 saw her named as the LPGA Tour Player of the Year for four consecutive years. Only Kathy Whitworth (1966-1969) and Annika Sorenstam (five times, 2001-2005), have achieved the same feat.

History for Mexico

Ochoa has many feats to her name, with many of those being the first Mexican to do/win. She became the first Mexican-born player to win on the LPGA Tour when she did so in 2004, before then becoming the country’s first ever No.1 on the Women’s World Golf Rankings in 2007. Her major win at the Women’s British Open was also a first for a Mexican golfer, and she remains the only Mexican player – male or female – to have won a major tournament in the sport.

She is also the only Mexican to have been named LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year, to win the LPGA Vare Trophy and to be the tour’s leading money earner as well. 

Hosting an LPGA Event

Not many players get to host their own tournament. The Mexican did just that, with the Lorena Ochoa Invitational being a part of the LPGA Tour’s schedule for a decade. The lies of Michelle Wie West, Lexi Thompson, Inbee Park and Carlota Ciganda were all victorious in the event’s history.

Just how good was Lorena Ochoa? Should the Mexican have won more major titles? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!