Lorena Ochoa announced that she is stepping away from golf for an indefinite period of time. Ochoa has been the most recognized female golfer in sportsbook online odds in the past three years. Sportsbook odds normally favor Ochoa when she is in a golf event. She has been the top player in the world for the past three years. She has 27 wins in the past six years including two major titles. She has won $14.2 million dollars in her career and she is a four-time player of the year. “Lorena Ochoa confirms her retirement from the LPGA, as news reports in some media have said today,” a statement said, “The reasons and more details on the matter will be given by Lorena personally in a press conference on Friday in Mexico City. Lorena will share this news of a new stage in her life with her sponsors, family members and friends.”
Ochoa was scheduled to play next week in the Tres Marias event in Morelia, west of Mexico City. She was fourth in this year’s first major of the year, the Kraft Nabisco Championship in California. Whether that event was her finale or whether she will appear in the event in Morelia is unclear to those involved in sportsbook online odds. “I’m just crushed,” Hall of Famer Judy Rankin said, “We won’t get to see her play golf. Mostly, we won’t get to see her.” Reports have Ochoa retiring to spend more time with her family and new husband Andres Conesa.
This is not the first time a top golfer has walked away from women’s golf. Annika Sorenstam retired in May of 2008. “I must admit that I was surprised, but not shocked, when I heard the news yesterday that Lorena is going to retire,” Sorenstam said, “She has always said she would play for maybe 10 years and then leave the game to start a family. She just got married and obviously feels that she is ready for that next chapter in her life.”
The LPGA is already struggling and losing Ochoa is a huge blow. The tour only has 25 tournaments on its schedule and only 14 of them are in the United States. Sportsbook facts indicate that Ochoa became the top player in the world in 2006 as she won six times. She won the Women’s British Open that season. Her other victory in a major was in the 2008 Kraft Nabisco Championship.