Tapatio golfing legend Lorena Ochoa says she is looking forward to participating “without any pressure” in her own LPGA tournament at the Guadalajara Country Club in November.
Ochoa left the LPGA Tour in May 2010 at the age of 28 to marry and start a family. She was the world’s number one golfer from April 2007 until her retirement and notched up two majors among her 27 tour titles.
The fifth Lorena Ochoa Invitational from Thursday, November 8 to Sunday, November 11 will once again attract the world’s top golfers, including Ochoa, who was unable to play last year as she was expecting her first child.
Players confirmed for this year’s tournament include U.S. golfers Michelle Wie, Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer, as well as world number one Yani Tseng and Norway’s Suzann Pettersen.
Criteria for the 36 invitations to the Lorena Ochoa Invitational are as follows: the top five players from the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, the 26 best players in the LPGA Money List and five invited players selected by the tournament committee. Previous winners of the tournament have been Angela Stanford (2008), Michelle Wie (2009), I.K. Kim (2010) and Catriona Matthew (2011).At a press conference this week to promote the tournament, Ochoa said she couldn’t imagine returning to full-time professional golf but would like to make the occasional appearance at major events, although not for a few more years. To prepare for her tournament at the Country Club, Ochoa recently took a wild card spot in the Lacoste Ladies Open in France on the Ladies European Tour.
Since her retirement from the LPGA, Ochoa has dedicated herself to her charity foundation, which includes the operation of a primary school in Guadalajara for 250 underprivileged students. She has also launched a half-hour golfing program on CNN Español and works with the Ochoa Group, the business managed by her brother Alejandro Ochoa. She is also getting involved in golf course design.
Ochoa’s new autobiography, “Soñar en Grande” (Dreaming Big), will be released during November’s tournament.
As in previous years, a large contingent of expats from the Lake Chapala area will serve as stewards and volunteers during the four-day event.
Tickets will be on pre-sale at Ochoa Group offices at Morelos 2179 (behind Plaza Los Arcos) in Guadalajara one week prior to the event and at the Guadalajara Country Club gate (Calle Mar Egeo and Mar Marmara, one block from Avila Camacho) throughout the week of the tournament. A weekly pass costs 800 pesos. Tickets for Thursday and Friday’s rounds cost 100 pesos; Saturday tickets are 300 pesos and Sunday’s 400 pesos. Play starts around 10 a.m. on each day. For more information call (33) 1202-0877 or visit http://en.loi.mx.