Red hot Ochoa goes for back to back wins in South Korea

2007-10-17

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GYEONGJU, SOUTH KOREA (TICKER) -- Lorena Ochoa looks to win her second consecutive championship and first in Asia when the LPGA plays its next three events there - beginning with the Hana Bank-Kolon Championship, which starts Friday.

Ochoa, who is first in the Rolex Rankings, successfully defended her title at the Samsung World Championship last week, picking up her seventh victory this season and 16th career.

Ochoa has had an outstanding season and has played particularly well recently. The 25-year-old Mexican has finished no worse than a tie for third in any one of her last seven tournaments. In 21 starts this season, Ochoa has finished in the top 10 on 19 occasions while ending in the top five 16 times.

In addition to her outstanding finishes, Ochoa also leads the LPGA in rounds under par, greens in regulation and is tied for first in putts per green.

Ochoa will be looking for her first victory in Asia after finishing fourth in her only other appearence here at the 2004 CJ Nine Bridges Classic.

Jin Joo Hong, a native of South Korea, is the defending champion at this $1.5 million event.

Hong, who is a regular on the Korean LPGA, became just the 15th player in LPGA history to win an event without being a tour member when she took home the title at the Mauna Ocean Golf and Resort last year.

The victory qualified Hong for a full-time spot on the LPGA Tour this season, where she had four top-20 finishes in 19 events, taking home over $127,000 in tournament winnings.

Hong's fellow countrywoman, Jee Young Lee, won this tournament in 2005 and also used her win to earn a spot on the LPGA.

This season, Lee has nine top-10 finishes - including a tie for sixth at last weekend's Samsung World Championship - and finished no worse than a tie for 13th in all four of the LPGA majors this year.

History is on the the side of Hong and Lee, as a Korean player has won the title at the Hana Bank-Kolon Championship four of its five years since the tournament came into existence in 2002.

The tournament was scheduled to debut in 2002 but was cancelled due to military action by the United States and its allies.