OCHOA AND SORENSTAM FACE OFF IN ACAPULCO

By Karla Villegas Gama
Courtesy of LPGA.com

For the media, everything began on Friday when both Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa gave a press conference. Annika came out first since Lorena was doing some interviews with local reporters. As you can imagine, the first question was related to her injury, and as we all know, she's not fully recovered but expects to be 100% sooner than later.

Lorena then came in about 10 minutes later and said it was nice to have Annika joining her again on Mexican turf, and that she was ready and expecting to win the match.

Annika seemed to be very confident, so I asked her if she was taking the Skins Game just as a warm up for the U.S. Women's Open or as something more formal. Annika said, "Yes, if you want to put it that way, it's nothing but a warm up," so indeed, she was confident and not taking it too seriously.

I asked Lorena the same and her answer was completely different. "It's not a warm up at all. I want to win. I'm capable of doing it and I know this will give me experience for future rounds," said Lorena.

Lorena had lots of pressure on her back and she knew this was the fifth chance to beat Annika in Mexico to let everyone know she'll be at the top for a long time, no matter who's 2nd, or 3rd in the Rolex Rankings.

After the interview, there was a photo session with both players and then they thanked everybody and left the room. Everything was set for Saturday's match.

I hit the course at 10:15 a.m. Annika went straight to the range and started to warm up. At that point, there weren't too many fans, almost everybody around the range were members from the media, either reporters or photographers.

Fifteen minutes later, Lorena came out and decided to putt a bit, and seemed like she was o.k. with her putting. Annika came to the green also but was having some trouble with her putting session, and after that she started to practice her chip shots. It was 11:00 a.m. already and I think there were only 100 fans or so. I was surprised since last year there were about 400.

After an hour, they went directly to the first tee, chatted a bit and then a rules official came over for the coin toss to see who tees off first. Annika teed off first, followed by Lorena who wasn't as long as Annika.

Annika's short game was very sharp, while her iron game was spectacular. She had a 3-footer for birdie, while Lorena's ball passed the green, and unfortunately she couldn't sink it. The ball stopped like one or two inches from the hole. Ochoa chipped extremely well and also scored par. Not too much happened between holes 2 to 6. Both players were even. Annika was having trouble on the green, while Lorena had trouble with her approach shots.

Finally on 7, the Swede took advantage 7-0, after Lorena missed her par putt; suddenly she was in trouble with her approach shots and with some putts, while Annika started to put her game together.

It was at the 9th where Lorena won 2 skins. It seemed like all of a sudden she started to make some great approach shots. Lorena left her ball two or three feet from the flag, while Annika's was 8 or 9 feet.

So the front nine was over and Lorena started to gain confidence, while the crowds acknowledged her effort and kept cheering for her.

The score was pretty close, at 13. Annika's ball went directly into a hazard which put Ochoa closer to the Swede, and at this point the score was 8–5, with Annika in the lead.

None of them won 14 since both scored par. Lorena won the 15th with a very consistent tee shot and a great putt from a bout 5 feet, putting herself just one skin away from Annika (8-7), who was a bit tired already.

We were at 16, Lorena had a chance to even the match but once again, she wasn't so sharp with her irons and didn't take advantage of her local condition. Then on 17, Annika had a chance to lock up the win but couldn't sink her putt and left Ochoa, and all the fans, with some hope.

So, 18 would decide it all, Annika's tee shot went directly into the bunker, while Lorena's was in the middle of the fairway. That was when everybody thought Annika was done, but they forgot that you never count her out. No matter the circumstances, you never leave Annika out. Lorena ended up missing her putt for birdie, and two putted for par. Meanwhile Annika managed to recover from that bad shot and saved par.

The gallery thought that was it, and Annika and Lorena also thought Annika was the winner. She even celebrated with her caddie Terry, while Lorena hugged he caddie David. Annika came over to Lorena to thank her. As they were embracing each other the tournament organizers came onto the green and told us that a playoff was needed to determine who the winner was, because there were 3 skins, $45,000, at steak.

They went back to 18 and played it 4 more times. The first 3 were like replays, both had birdie opportunities but 2 putted for par, until the fourth time when Annika missed her birdie opportunity, scored par and waited for Lorena to make her par putt, which was like 5 inches from the hole, but, she missed it. No one could believe it, because she was so close. All she needed to do was tap it in, and she missed it.

The final score was just the same as last year with Annika taking 11 skins ($165,000) and Lorena 7, ($105,000). At the winner's presentation Annika was asked for a rematch and she accepted. Annika said she loved Acapulco, as well as the course, so she would definitely come back in 2008. Lorena was sad with the result but at the same time happy to have the crowds' support no matter the score, because at the end of the day, she will always be Mexico's sweetheart.