Lorena Ochoa - Part 4 (The Majors and Life After Golf)

Intro Music 0:07

Straight down the middle. It went straight down the middle. Then it started to hook just.

Bruce Devlin 0:16

What a year you had in 2007, huh? Eight victories, including including your first major at the uh the Rico Women's British Open. So we'll touch we'll touch uh a little bit more about that later. But started off early in the year, Safeway invitational, one by two over Suzanne Peterson.

Lorena Ochoa 0:41

Uh-huh.

Bruce Devlin 0:41

So off you go again.

Lorena Ochoa 0:45

You know, I always uh thought that the Susan um she's just a great uh player, yes, but great person. Um I admire her a lot. I think uh it was it was um very fine comp competitor because you know we are together all the time and we have this right by light teeth, but always a lot of respect. And um and Susan, you know, her energy, you know, and the way she gets up there, you know, and when she makes a birdie and you know how she celebrates and she's up on and she's ready to go, you know. Um I learned, you know, to manage with all those emotions. You know, I learned to stay calm, you know. I learned to focus on my game and I learned not to get all these distractions. And we actually enjoy playing together. We walk, we laugh, you know. She she always tells me that she misses my smile, you know, my laugh. Um and um Phoenix, well, well, the the Arizona was a special place for me, you know. Like I said before, I have all my fans there, I have friends, relatives, my sponsors. Uh that was a special, special win. I remember I do remember that work on the 18th um green. I remember my shirt. Beautiful trophy, this blue, kind of like bathing. And uh yes, I do want to say hi to Susan, and and I admire her because she also retired at the right time. And she now, you know, she has a beautiful family, and it's great that she was able to do both things, you know.

Mike Gonzalez 2:19

Yeah, yeah. Well, good. Yeah, yeah. You picked up your second win at the Cybase Classic. Uh uh, you won again in Rochester, which a lot of the ladies always love just going there as a community supporting a great LPG event that was in a playoff. And then we come to the 2007 Women's British Open. And what a cool place to win the Women's British Open.

Lorena Ochoa 2:41

Yes, wow, that was special. You know, um well, first I had a great week um the week before at the Ebian, you know, in France, and I was just feeling really positive. You know, I was great with my game, my my mental um part. It was it was it was perfect, but what it was very special because on Sunday, after playing at the Ebian, I was able to fly um to Edinburgh, and then we we drive um to St. Andrews. And I was there before dark, you know, because it's summer and it gets dark so late. So I was there before dark. And I just and I was there on the 18th green uh with my brother. And I mean, I have goosebons, you know, and I'm standing there, and I told my brother, I'm gonna win, you know, we're going to win. And my brother's like, yeah, yes, I can see it, you know, it's so clear. And I said, Yes, just look at that. You know, I'm crossing the bridge, you know, all the fans are clapping. I'm walking, you know, with a nice smile in my face, you know, and just finishing my last you know, pod, and then the crowd, you know, and my father is gonna be there. And we just talked about the experience, and it was exactly the way it happened. Yeah. I mean, every detail. And and and that week it was it was very special because of that, because I I almost lived the week um before it even happened, you know.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

Yeah, yeah.

Lorena Ochoa 4:13

So when I was there at the tournament, it was just something that, okay, you know, I have faith, I have this uh nice, uh calm uh feeling, I have good rhythm, I have the nice draw because then when I play it was not rainy, it was not crazy, it was not windy, and I took advantage of that. Uh so some tournaments are yours for you, you know, and and that was for me for sure.

Mike Gonzalez 4:36

Yeah, well, it opened up with a 67, and uh uh of course that was six under with the setup for you guys that had a par 73, so I think they probably played 17 as a par 5, I'm guessing.

Lorena Ochoa 4:48

Yes, 17 as a par 5.

Mike Gonzalez 4:50

Uh they could play it as a par 7, it wouldn't matter to me. It's hard.

Lorena Ochoa 4:55

Actually, I went on the bunker and then I went over the green. I was so nervous, but it's just a game, you know, it's it's some great memories. Um I it was rainy probably for more than 36 holes. I remember you know, with my rain suit and just putting, you know, these huge greens, you know, and and uh just getting a nice uh speed on the greens, even with the rain. Nobody uh bothered me or nothing bothered me. I was just in a flow, you know, I was excited, I was happy. Uh Dave, my caddy, you know, that I love. Uh he was also in his territory, you know. I mean, he's from England and he has his family there, support, and it was just a special week. Yes, thank you for remembering that.

Mike Gonzalez 5:41

Yeah, well, uh your Sunday round, I think you got it to eight under with a birdie on nine, which probably gave you about a six-shot lead, and then you still ended up winning by four. Uh, but uh the conditions must not have been great that Sunday afternoon.

Lorena Ochoa 5:55

No, no, no. It was windy. We have uh, like I said, it was cold, and and and I'm not good playing in cold weather because I I always, you know, Mexico, the weather here is perfect, you know. Guadalajara is it's unreal. I mean, it's perfect. Actually, you know, sometimes I play with a sweater or a jacket, and I told myself I'm not going to take it off because I need to practice, you know, hitting the ball nice, even with clothes, you know, and and uh and then and then my rain gloves, because I don't use a glove. I never use glove in my life. So, and then when it rains, you have to put the two pairs of uh rain gloves, and they are not easy to heal the ball with, so I don't feel comfortable. So sometimes, you know, when I practice here in Mexico, I put the rain gloves, put my hands in the in the in water, right, you know, and then just hit you know 50 balls, 100 balls, 200 bowls, and feel comfortable. 200 bowls. So then, and then that time I needed to play with globes, you know. So it was also something something different for me. Yes.

Mike Gonzalez 6:57

Yeah, yeah. Well, what a great place to pick up uh major number one at the old course and all the history of that town and and and and and the game. Uh that had to be a big thrill. Uh did it change your life much to be become a major winner, or what did it do for you mentally?

Lorena Ochoa 7:16

No. No, you know, for some reason, um I I'm a player, I'm I'm easygoing, you know. I have faith and I enjoy what I do, and and and I had some tough moments before at majors, you know. Um maybe making mistakes at the end or finishing second, or you know, and and I think I maybe God, you know, he got uh plans for me. I'm I'm I was not a player that, you know, many majors, only two. The two more special ones, you know, especially when San Andrews and then the Kraft Nabisco. And I mean, and and that's it. That's how I take it. You know, it was super, super special. I don't change, you know, my two mayors for nothing in the world. Um, you know, of course, you know, they told me, okay, Lorena, but maybe maybe five majors, six majors. Yes, of course. You know, I would love that, but I don't change anything. You know, my 27 wins were perfect for different reasons. And um and the Women's British Open, I mean, being in St Andrews for the first time in history, that's going to be my name there forever. It was very, very special.

Mike Gonzalez 8:28

Yeah, thank you. So four four wins already uh in 2007, and Bruce, she had four more left in the bag.

Bruce Devlin 8:35

Went to the two weeks later, wins the Canadian Women's Open in the Safeway Classic, Samsung World Championship, and the ADT Championship. So eight victories in 2007. Boy, that's a lot of wins.

Lorena Ochoa 8:54

Yes, um I can only it's difficult to explain, but you get in this role, you know, you're getting this mood that um you feel invincible, you are um, you know, at the top of your game, and you just trust your feeling, and even if you made a mistake, you just let it go so quickly. You play light, you know, you play happy, you play with a good rhythm. And it's um it's you know, I guess you know you talk to so many golfers, you know, great, great players, um, that when you get into that rhythm, nobody can stop you. It's difficult to explain. And you know what? Something very important in my career is how consistent I was. Uh like you mentioned before, like how many top tens, how many top fives, how many top three? Because even if I had a bad day, I was right there, you know, I finished sixth or I finished eighth, or you know, and and when I had an okay, you know, weekend, I finished three or third or second, and then I was winning and winning and just giving myself a chance every week. And yes. I mean, it gives me goosebumps. I I enjoy those uh times a lot. Thank you for remembering your reminding me, you know, those great uh times.

Mike Gonzalez 10:12

Well, and and that's what we do here with our guests. You know, everybody describes it as sort of a trip down memory lane. They get them thinking about things that maybe they haven't thought about in a long time. You know, if we go back to 2008 and we talk about a terrific uh seven-win uh year there, um one thing really stands out at me. Of course, you open the year at the HSBC uh with a with a win at the women's championship uh in Singapore, uh, only by 11.

SPEAKER_01 10:40

Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez 10:41

Over Annika Sorenstein. Right? You talk about you talk about an easy 18. You had an easy back nine. You just did a nice stroll, right?

Lorena Ochoa 10:50

I actually didn't remember it was 11 strokes. Wow.

Mike Gonzalez 10:54

Yeah, 11 strokes. It was, and then and then here's what's amazing to me, because you talked about, you know, maybe not wanting to play more than three weeks, maybe four weeks in a row and taking a rest. So what does she do? Four weeks in a row, and she wins four tournaments week after week after week after week. So we go from the Saveway to the Kraft Nabisco, which we'll come back to, to the the uh uh the Corona Championship uh again uh back home. That was your second win there, and then the gin open uh down in Florida. Four weeks straight. You must have been. I don't know, you're either ready for a rest and go back home for a while, or hey, I want to keep playing. This is fun.

Bruce Devlin 11:34

Lorrainer, I gotta say one extra thing about those four weeks in a row. You won by 26 shots in those four weeks. Wow, that's amazing.

Lorena Ochoa 11:49

I thank you, thank you, Bruce. Well, um I just remember being um at the Gin Open, I guess. That's what you said in Orlando.

Mike Gonzalez 12:00

Yeah, yeah, that was the fourth one.

Lorena Ochoa 12:02

Yeah, and and uh with this huge trophy, it was kind of like a reddish, uh huge trophy, and and I had my hands like this, you know, number four. And actually, I have that picture here at here at my house, here at my gym. Um I see it every morning that I go and work out. Um yes, with so many, so many great memories. Um I cannot uh express you know all the emotions, but you get into the song, you get into and and you know, when I work um here now in this stage of my life, and when I'm going through a hard time, um and when you take therapy or you're trying to get you know this good uh feeling and feeling comfortable with what you're going through and how you get better and better, those memories are the ones that you know they they come to me because it gives you this joy and this kind of like uh you feel light and you feel happy and you feel just you know, it's almost like your head is so clean and so easy, you know. Uh it's like an arrow, you know. You are just uh inside this bubble that you don't get any distractions and you don't feel anything. And I always try to kind of like put myself in that um same way of feeling, you know, to now um kind of like those experiences, how can they help me now in my life today, you know? And those are the times that you get back all the time.

Mike Gonzalez 13:31

Yeah, yeah. Well, let's go back to win number two of that uh four-win stretch, Bruce. Uh uh, we'll call it what it was. Uh I know it went as the Kraft Nabisco Championship, but uh to all of us and to the players, it was the Dinosaur. Yeah.

Lorena Ochoa 13:45

Yes, the Dinoshore. Yes, of course, you can say that. Bruce, do you have any information for me?

Bruce Devlin 13:53

I know, but you know, I I was fortunate enough uh when I was working for NBC to cover the dinosaur tournament for three years. It was a lot of fun and saw a lot of great golf. And boy, I guess to win uh to win at the uh the old course and then to win at Mission Hills for your second. Uh by the way, that's a second in a row, too. Uh you go from the British Open to winning at Nabisco Dinosaur by five over Susan Peterson and guess who? Annika. What a win.

Lorena Ochoa 14:29

Yes, what a week. Well, um, you know, that tournament. Um I mean, I I don't wanna say um I I get confused with the years, but uh I don't know, I don't know if the year before or two years before my win. I lost in a playoff against uh Carry Webb.

Mike Gonzalez 14:50

Correct. And um that was a couple years before. Yeah.

Lorena Ochoa 14:55

2006. So so um, you know, and and the the dinosaur, as you call it, it was it was something very special to me too, because as an amateur, I played there um, you know, for the first time with the top players, and that was my first um opportunity to kind of like watch Annika and see her inside the ropes. And actually I played with Annika, the third round of the band. Um I was paired with her, and I did okay. I mean, and I and I won the lowest uh amateur, you know, uh recognition, and she won the tournament. So that green, you know, you know, with the water around, it was something very special to me, you know. And and so I lost the playoff against uh Carrie, and I was ready to win that that year, but then she made a 110 yards uh wedge into the hole to tie with me, and we went to a playoff. So it was something really you know heartbreaking. It was it was really, really difficult. Yeah, and then two years later I was there with my chance to win. It was beautiful. Um the night before I told uh my friends and my relatives, okay, just all of them were like, okay, we're gonna jump in the water, we're gonna jump in the and I keep telling them don't get ahead, don't get ahead of the game. Let's just go tomorrow and enjoy, you know. I'm trying to keep them calm. And um, maybe at the 17 and we were walking the fairway on the 18, all of them are like, We're going to jump in the water. I look at them and say, get as many Mexicans as you can. So we break some records, you know, and and we did we we did the we have uh so far that the record, you know, so many Mexicans, you know, in the pump. And it was it was beautiful. Uh it was beautiful. Uh I had my family there with me. Um just special, yes.

Mike Gonzalez 16:53

Yeah, yeah. And you know, m many of the women describe it as sort of your masters. Yeah. Same course every year, the traditions and the stories that were built up, the history there.

Lorena Ochoa 17:04

I like that. I like that, and I think, yes, I think you're right. Um I even myself, that's how I, you know, I I when I talk to my friends, when I talk to my relatives, that comparison is always there, you know. They craft Navisco is like the U the Masters.

Mike Gonzalez 17:18

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely. Well, you know, finishing up in 08, we talked about those four straight wins of her first five. There were a couple more left in that seven-win year. Uh your third win at Cybase. You also won the Navastar LPJ Classic at Robert Trent Jones Golf Course. So that sort of finishes up 2008. What was going through your mind at that time? Did were you seeing the finish line yet by then?

Lorena Ochoa 17:43

Well, um, I think my toughest time it was um at the end of 2009. Um, yes. But I do want to mention something about the the tournament in in uh in Alabama. Um I think that one I won by nine or by ten.

Mike Gonzalez 18:08

Well, there was uh there was one at the Robert Trent Jones golf course. That was in a playoff with Christy Kerr and Candy Kung. One of the one of the few times when uh you had to play all 72 holes.

Lorena Ochoa 18:22

No, no, but it was an another one in Alabama uh that I won by nine shots or or they well anyway.

Mike Gonzalez 18:30

That's right. That wasn't that wasn't well in 2009 you won down there as well by four over Brittany Lang and and Michelle Wee. Uh I think that was your your last win that came in at the end of 2009, I guess, right?

Lorena Ochoa 18:43

Well, and I'm confused, I don't know. But I remember having this uh tournament that I missed uh my my cousin's uh wedding, you know, and and I was kind of like because I mean he's the most important, he's like my brother, you know, and and the wedding was during that uh weekend, and my my my cousin just told me, Renna, don't worry, go and play your tournament, go and win, you know. We we decided that it's going to be your priority and do whatever you have to do, go and win the event and don't worry. So I'm there, and on Thursday, I start the first haul, and I made an eight in the first hole. And I was like, oh my god, you know, it was 7:55 a.m. and I was in you know in Alabama, and I thought, okay, I'm not going to be here. You know, my my cousin is getting married, and I look at Dave and I said, Dave, let's go and win this week. And he looked at me. He's like, Lorena, okay, but could you please make part in the next haul? That's right.

Mike Gonzalez 19:46

Yeah, this this quad thing's not gonna get it this week.

Lorena Ochoa 19:50

I said, Okay, I will do it. And um I made part in the next haul, and I made birdie, and then part, and then birdie, and I was able to finish, I think that day like 69 or something. And the next day 63, and I ended up winning the tournament by nine or ten strokes. Like it's just one of those uh weeks that you know, and and that's uh uh really uh proof of uh it, you know, it doesn't matter how you start, you know, and and it doesn't matter what happened or the mistakes, you need to be able to take those mistakes just all the time, you know, and and and just let them go and be light and be happy and get ready, be ready for the challenge, and and building uh a nice uh golf round is very important, you know. You have 18 holes and just kind of like be patient and give yourself opportunities. And that was something special to me because I started with the eight. Yes.

Mike Gonzalez 20:48

Well, let's talk about your final three wins on the tour. This is in 2009. You won the Honda in Thailand, you win the Corona Championship for the third time at home, and then you finish up uh in Alabama uh with a win, as I said by four over Britney Lang and Michelle Wee at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. So three more wins in 2009. Uh, but you must have then been looking at the finish line.

Lorena Ochoa 21:12

Yes, yes. I already knew at that time. Um I I was exhausted. I couldn't wake up in the morning, I couldn't go to the gym, I couldn't, you know, get the hours uh practicing. It just when when your your your mind uh said changes, it's it's very difficult. Like um I'm like I was trying to survive, you know. I just uh woke up and said, okay, let's go to the gym, you have to be there. And instead of being there an hour and a half, I was there only 45 minutes, kind of like walking around. And instead of practicing, you know, eight hours, I was there five hours, but I was trying to take some rest, you know, and have a nice lunch. And and you start like your priorities kind of like start changing, and you don't feel uh you know comfortable anymore, you don't Happy, you are exhausted, you miss more home, you know, your friends, your family. I already have this nice relationship with Andres, my boyfriend, and I and I was you know ready to get married. And when your head is not there, I mean it's impossible. No, and uh, I was able to identify, kind of like to be honest with myself, you know, and and I have all these questions, and I said, Well, you know, golf is not my priority anymore. You know, I'm exhausted, I cannot do it anymore. I struggle going to practice, I'm you know, and and I was just brave, you know, I was honest with myself, and I was ready to talk about it and ready to make that decision, you know. And and everybody thought maybe I rushed a little bit, maybe I should have played the whole 2010 to be able to say goodbye, you know, to be able to go and visit all of the different uh golf courses or cities and beautiful places, you know, to say thank you to the fans and to the media. And and actually I'm really, really happy that I did my way because I mean I didn't see that uh happening. It was impossible to play a year long. Then I I lost my top uh position in the world, and then I was probably you know exhausted and angry. Probably I will finish angry with golf, you know, and not happy and the criticisms about not playing good, and maybe the media and me frustrated with the game, and uh and I just I was brave to finish at the right time, where I love the game, I have a great relationship with the media, I'm very thankful to all of them. I have my sponsors still today. I have here my sponsors and they help me now with different activities in my career, and then and that's that's why because I'm I was brave to make the decision at the right time. If you wait sometimes too long, then bad things start happening and you don't finish happy, you know.

Mike Gonzalez 24:04

Yeah, and and and in retrospect, Lorena, you know, had you won, let's say, 45 tournaments, 50 tournaments, would you have felt any better about yourself, number one? And number two, what would you have all missed out on had you done that, right?

Bruce Devlin 24:15

Yeah.

Lorena Ochoa 24:16

Yes, yes. Especially like I said before, I I respect and I admire, you know, and everybody they have their own way of living. And but to me, it was very clear that I didn't want it to be there forever, you know, and I was not going to become a mother. Um and then traveling on tour with a with a baby, uh, and then not being at the top because I'm so competitive, you know. I always wanted to be there, I always wanted to win, I always wanted to be the best. And I didn't see myself finishing 20th or 30th, or just not being, you know, okay with my game and having the baby. And so I just decided, okay, I'm gonna do this, you know, as my priority, and when I'm ready to move on, I'm gonna do it, and I'm gonna now achieve my dreams outside the golf course, you know.

Mike Gonzalez 25:02

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Perfect. Well, listen, but before we wrap up and telling your story, we we want you to spend some additional time telling our listeners about the Lorena Ochoa Foundation and what you've been able to accomplish thus far in sport and education in Mexico.

Lorena Ochoa 25:18

Yes, thank you. Thank you for asking. Well, like I said, you know, 2003 was um a special year for me because I decided after my my my rookie year to start my foundation. And I started helping in a school in Guadalajara, which is uh 360 kids uh from you know first grade to 12, and um and we help them, all of them are on privileged kids. They take more than two or three hours to get to the school in the morning, you know, and they come from many different places. Um we give them breakfast in the morning, and then a great um, you know, education with a top level, uh, and then activities in the afternoon, and and it's beautiful and it's great. But I always wanted to help more. I wanted to make a bigger impact. I wanted to help uh not only in Guadalajara but in different cities, you know, in different states in the country and and go nationwide. And um so I joined uh this uh foundation, it's called Becard, Fundación Becard. And uh we started with uh you know a few schools with 12 of them in in different parts. Now we have uh 31 schools uh in 13 different uh cities, uh states. And uh last year we helped only last year close to 14,000 kids.

SPEAKER_01 26:37

That's great.

Lorena Ochoa 26:38

So it's uh it's uh it's something you know that I'm I feel very proud of. It's my main motivation, it's my life uh project, and it's something that I love uh to share with my kids and to, you know, I always kind of like talk to them and take them and and and they go with me to different activities. But you know, my my my life just uh has this meaning, you know, and new perspective, and and I do want to change education in my country. There are so many unprivileged kids and education. Uh we don't have, you know, in the States it could be easy because they say, oh yes, this is public education. You know, they can go to school and great. But here public education is not happening. I mean, the teachers they don't go, they don't have the facilities, they don't have the material. Uh it's very sad. So these schools are private because we maintain them. Um they are private, but all of them are from privileged kids, very poor situations, um, so many troubles, you know, with the addictions, with abuse, you know, with the you know, the poverty and what they have, you know, around them. Um but imagine since um 2003, you know, I've been helping, and and for sure, if you change one little boy or one little girl's life, it's worth it, you know, only with one, you know, and and it's not only the kid, but it's also the family and the community and all the improvements around the school and how we have a program with parents and so many values that we teach. We are very worried about the mental side, and um it's been great. I'm involved. All the activities with the foundation, I do them myself, uh personally, because I like to be there, I like to be involved, I like to be at the different committees and make decisions and go and visit the schools. Yeah, uh so I work every day for that. Um, I love what I do, I feel very proud to be able to help others. And um so I'm just taking golf, you know, as my tool, you know.

SPEAKER_01 28:38

And that's great.

Lorena Ochoa 28:40

And I'm very, very, very thankful. Thank you. Yes.

Mike Gonzalez 28:43

Well, you know what's amazing. I mean, you've been at this for over 20 years, and who knows, if you stay healthy, you may be doing this for another 50 years, right? Yeah, why not? And and so think about 70 years of. I'm ready, I'm ready. Right, think about the legacy you're leaving. So let's just say you you do stay healthy and are blessed with good health and 70 years of giving back to to your home country and and and the people there that that need the help. Uh that legacy uh uh will almost make people forget about the 27 wins, won't they? Sort of.

Lorena Ochoa 29:16

Thank you, Mike. Well, I you know, when they ask me, you know, how uh would I like to be remembered, you know, I I always say, well, for the things I'm doing outside the golf course, for sure, you know. I think uh, you know, winning tournaments and being there, it was uh a short part of my life that uh made me who I am today, you know, and and and all those rich and great experiences. But for sure I would like to be remembered for changing, you know, others' lives and and help them to become you know what they dream of, or you know, to achieve uh their dreams, to change the way of living, you know, and and to see that because now we have so many generations, is very special. Thank you.

Mike Gonzalez 29:59

Well, that's good.

Bruce Devlin 30:01

I was just gonna say, you know, uh Lorena, we always ask three questions, and you're you already answered the first question that I or the last question that I would normally ask you. So I'm gonna let Mike, seeing that he's the youngest person here, ask you the second question.

Mike Gonzalez 30:20

Okay. I I'm gonna ask you this, Lorena. So I'm gonna take you back to uh age 20 or so, and and uh uh but you're blessed with the knowledge of what you know now. So if you knew then what you know today at age 43, what would you have done different at age 20?

Lorena Ochoa 30:39

With all the knowledge that I have today. Um for sure I will be a little bit lighter with myself. Maybe it took too long uh for me to understand that. Um I will believe um that that everything is going to be fine, you know, it doesn't matter. I think when you are that that age, it's almost like life and death, you know, like white and black, you know.

SPEAKER_01 31:09

Yeah.

Lorena Ochoa 31:09

You start learning the grace, you know, you start learning that what is worth it is the experience, you know, the ride and and to enjoy the process. And um I wish I had that earlier in my career, you know. Um I don't know, I guess health is what is important, the rest.

SPEAKER_01 31:29

Yeah.

Lorena Ochoa 31:30

I mean, if I would, you know, pick or choose just one thing, you know, uh I will I would say health. I think being healthy and staying healthy. And if maybe when I was 20, you know, those are the things that you just take them for granted. I mean, you don't even know. Um that's it, and for sure. Always, always, always have a close team, you know, a family, you know, that uh always share with them what you do, share your dreams, but also share your you know your sadness or your tough or your difficult times and also your wins, you know, and the good times, but always uh share everything because if you do it on your own and if you do it yourself, it's not worth it.

SPEAKER_01 32:11

Okay, for sure.

Bruce Devlin 32:13

So looking back at your career, which was fantastic, even though it was rather short relative to lots of other players. Yeah, I'm gonna give you one mulligan. Where would you take it?

Lorena Ochoa 32:31

The US Woman's Open. I don't even know the year. Remember that I made an eighth on the last hole? It was the US Open that Birdie King won, a Korean player. I was winning by three shots on the 18th um team shot, and I get my driver or my tribute, I don't even know what I did, and I hit the ball behind, I hit it just behind um the ball, and I hit this huge draw into the water, and I made an eight in the last hole. I didn't hit it like, I mean, of course, uh birdie to win, part to win, boggy to win, double boggy to go to a payoff, and I made an eight. So for sure I will use my mulligan there.

Mike Gonzalez 33:16

Yeah, I guess that's a good place to use it. Uh well, listen, you you've been a wonderful guest today, and and uh and uh thank you for coming back to finish up your story. Uh it was nice that you sort of led Bruce with his last question, which was how would you like to be remembered? And I think you uh you you already answered it very, very eloquently. So uh on behalf of uh Bruce and uh the entire team, we want to thank you for taking the time to share your story. You know, you've we mentioned you've joined a 103 of your other colleagues and telling us.

Lorena Ochoa 33:48

That's very special.

Mike Gonzalez 33:49

Being great, Lorena. Thank you very much. We hope in a hundred years people are listening to this.

Lorena Ochoa 33:54

That's so nice, you know. But I do want to say thank you for all you uh have uh done for the for the game of golf, and it's great uh talking to you. I enjoy it a lot. Uh let me know when I can uh listen to this or share this story with my friends.

SPEAKER_01 34:08

We'll let you so yeah.

Lorena Ochoa 34:10

I have now so many friends that are not with golf, you know, that are not uh they have no idea about winning a tournament or how you make a burden the last hole, you know. They don't understand the mental side, they don't understand. And I also love that because now uh this is kind of like Lorena outside the game, you know, and yeah, and it's nice, but then then sometimes they're like, okay, Lorena, talk to us a little bit about your wins, you know. So now I'm gonna be able to tell them just go and do this great interview, and that's it.

Mike Gonzalez 34:39

For the good of the game.

Lorena Ochoa 34:41

For the good of the game.

Mike Gonzalez 34:43

That's right. Well, thank you very much.

Lorena Ochoa 34:45

Bye-bye, thank you.

Mike Gonzalez 34:47

Thank you for listening to another episode of For the Good of the Game. And please, wherever you listen to your podcast on Apple and Spotify, if you like what you hear, please subscribe, spread the word, and tell your friends until we tee it up again for the good of the game. So long, everybody.

Intro Music 35:12

It went smack down the fairway. And it started to slice, just smitch off line. My caddy says as long as you're still in the state, you're okay.