Mexico's Lorena Ochoa took her season's earnings to a record £2,180,000 with victory at the season-ending ADT Championship.
Eighth win for World number one
Mexico's Lorena Ochoa took her season's earnings to a record £2,180,000 with victory at the season-ending ADT Championship in West Palm Beach. The world number one pocketed £500,000 after an impressive final round of four under par 68.
In the unusual format, eight players competed over the final 18 holes for the record pay-day, and Ochoa finished two shots ahead of playing partner Natalie Gulbis. Another American, Paula Creamer, was third on 72.
Ochoa and Gulbis were the last pair out, and the Mexican took a major stride towards her eighth victory of the season with a faultless outward half of five under 31.
She birdied the second, third, fifth, sixth and ninth and was four shots clear of the field.
She then made par at the next seven holes to remain four ahead before suffering a real jolt with a three shot swing in Gulbis' favour at the short 17th.
Ochoa hit her tee shot through the green and ran up a double-bogey five - Gulbis holed a ten foot birdie putt.
But the world number one held her nerve and hit her approach shot to within a couple of feet of the hole at the last for a real grandstand finish. She made the easy birdie for the two stroke victory.
Perfect
It was the perfect end to the season for Ochoa, who replaced Swede Annika Sorenstam at the top of the rankings six months ago.
"This is a great way to end a great year," said Ochoa, who was runner-up in the same championship a year ago.
"One of my goals was to win more titles than last year (six) and to win a first major. I've done both."
Top
Ochoa claimed her first major at the British Open at St Andrews in August, and she has now firmly established herself as the women's top player.
"Now I'm going to have a good off season and look forward to 2008," she added.
Two British players made the original 32-draw. England's Laura Davies missed the 36-hole cut and Scot Catriona Matthew went out after a third round 79.
