Congratulations to Lorena Ochoa

Networked Golfer congratulates Lorena Ochoa for her five stroke victory at the Women's British Open at St. Andrews over the weekend. If anyone deserved to win, it was definitely Lorena.

I've been tracking her career for about three years, and though majorless prior to St. Andrews, she has been the dominant force on the LPGA of late. No one else, including Annika Sorenstam, has played as well as her on a consistent basis. But what I really like about her is who she is off the course.

There have been many articles written about the kind of person Ochoa is. Though I can't find it online, Golfweek ran a wonderful story recently about how she treats people. She is extremely grounded and doesn't seem at all affected by her celebrity. Sometimes, famous people start their careers like this, but they derail after several years on top. I don't see that happening with her.

One of my favorite anecdotes about Ochoa is how she makes a point to visit the grounds crew at every tournament. She visits them at the maintenance shack unannounced and by herself. Her main reason for making these visits is to thank the crew for their hard work and to compliment them on the course conditions. And, she's completely sincere.

She spends time talking, posing for photos and signing autographs. She makes their week, and probably their year, for if you haven't noticed, the majority of grounds crew members are Hispanic, and to them (especially Mexicans), Lorena is a hero.

Enjoy Ochoa's game while you can, but pay close attention to how she comports herself on and off the course. She's a bona fide role model for young women everywhere.