Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France (October 2, 2012)-Former world No.1 and one of the LPGA’s most beloved former players is making a brief return to professional golf when she takes part in the Lacoste Ladies de Open this week with the Ladies European Tour.
Ochoa who stepped aside from professional golf in 2010 to start a family walked away from a brilliant career, which saw her accumulate 27 LPGA victories including 2 major championships. She also held the number one world ranking for over three years and was one of the most dominant players on tour during that stretch.
For the LPGA tour it was a retirement that came too soon after Annika Sorenstam also stepped down just a few years prior to focus on her own family. Both were fan favorites and have left a void on the tour that has been tough to fill.
Unfortunately this week is not the beginning of a comeback for the 30 year-old Mexican player but merely an opportunity to dust off her game as a courtesy to her long time sponsorship with Lacoste. Since giving birth to her son Pedro, now nine months old, Ochoa has played sparingly though also recently took part in her friend Suzann Pettersen’s charity event with Sorenstam in September. Ochoa will also host her annual tournament The Lorena Ochoa Invitational in November in the city of Guadalajara where she is from. She did not play last year due to her pregnancy but will take part this year and the tournament is part of the LPGA fall schedule.
For Ochoa though the future will be filled more with work for her foundation than any professional itches she might have to return to the game. She addressed this in an interview this week from France.
“The foundation is better. I think winning tournaments says something; that I was very blessed and lucky to do, but I always prefer to be remembered for the things outside the golf course. I think it’s more important and also all the time I give speeches or talk to others I think it’s very important to be aware that there are a lot of people that need help and just for them, to be able to give back, it could be money, it could be time, I like to help in that way and make people aware that there are so many others in need that we need to get together and help as much as we can.”
