Ochoa Wins Samsung Championship

In the 4th round of the Samsung World Championships at the Bighorn Golf Club (par 72) in Palm Desert, California Monday, golfer Lorena Ochoa’s 6-stroke push, propelling her to an 18-under-par, 270-stroke finish, was enough to hold off runner-up Kim Mi-hyeon (KTF) by 4 strokes for the win.

Her successful title defense at Palm Desert earned Ochoa her 7th victory of the season, for which she won a handsome $250,000. The win brings her year’s total winnings to $3,318,000, and she has earned her second straight LPGA Tour player of the year award.

Up next for Ochoa is the LPGA’s Hana Bank Kolon Championship at Mauna Ocean C.C. (par 72) in Gyeongju, Korea. Awaiting the tour ace’s October 16 arrival will be the likes of hometown favorites Pak Se-ri and Kim Mi-hyeon.

During the competition, Angela Park (19), a Brazilian-national Korean, and Jang Jeong (IBK) posed stiff competition to Ochoa as co-leaders, but a few lapses during the chase caused both to slip behind the winner to wind up as co-3rd place finishers (275 strokes). Michelle Wie finished with her 2nd under-par score of the season (1 under-par, 71 strokes) giving her an 18 over-par, 306, barely escaping a last-place finish.

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