Ochoa gains second career victory

Lorena Ochoa birdied three of the last four holes Sunday to overcome a five-stroke deficit and win the Wachovia LPGA Classic.

Ochoa shot a 7-under-par 65, beating Grace Park by two strokes. Ochoa finished at 19-under 269 for her second career victory.

She took the lead for good when Park, the third-round leader, bogeyed the 15th -- one of her three bogeys on the back nine. Park closed with a 72 after setting a tournament record through 54 holes with a total of 17-under 199. This was the first time in Park's pro career she lost a tournament after leading after three rounds.

Hee-Won Han (67) and Jill McGill (73) finished four strokes back at 273.

Ochoa tied Park with a birdie at the 15th to go 17 under. Park, playing a group behind Ochoa, then bogeyed that hole to fall one stroke back. Ochoa later birdied the 18th to seal the win.

Ochoa won $150,000 to put her over $2 million in career earnings in just her second year on the Tour. She picked up her first win in May and finished in the top 10 in each of her last five tournaments, including three third-place finishes and a fourth.

Ochoa, who started the day five strokes behind Park, steadily gained ground on the leading trio of Park, McGill and Soo-Yun Kang by getting three birdies on the front nine. Park had two birdies before the turn but bogeyed the 10th and 13th to open the door.

Ochoa took advantage with a birdie on No. 10 and pulled closer when Park rimmed a 2-foot par putt on the 13th after chipping out of the sand.

After Ochoa birdied the 15th for a share of the lead, Park hit her tee shot into the rough. She chipped onto the fringe and her 40-foot par putt stopped just short of the cup, giving Ochoa the lead.

McGill, who led after two rounds and was trying for her first win, bogeyed three of the last four holes. She had a chance to pull close to Ochoa on No. 16, but she sent her third shot over the sand trap behind the green and put her next shot back over to the other side of the green.

Han played error-free golf, carding five birdies on the day to quietly move into third.

Kang, who started the day two shots behind Park, closed with a 75 for a 276. She was in the running a stroke back until taking an 8 on the eighth hole.

She hit her second shot over the green and 10 feet high off the trunk of a tree that was out of bounds in the parking area. On her second try from the same spot, she nearly hit McGill, who was standing at the back of the green. That shot, too, rolled out of bounds. Kang finally made the green on her third try and two-putted, falling from 17 under to 13 under.

Tournament officials moved up the start time to 8:30 a.m. because of concerns over storms forecast for Sunday afternoon. The players teed off in threesomes on split tees to ensure an early final.

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