ST ANDREWS, Scotland--When Lorena Ochoa arrived in St Andrews last Sunday night, she and her brother immediately drove to the 18th green of the Old Course. It was midnight, but the 18th green and fairway were fully illuminated by a full moon. The image was as crystal clear as the one she had in her head at that moment, that come a week later, she would be hoisting a trophy at that very same location.

"I wanted to win this tournament so bad," Ochoa said Sunday after cruising to a four-stroke victory at the RICOH Women's British Open for her first major championship. "Any thoughts I had, they were very positive and very clear to me. I saw myself on the 18th green lifting the trophy, and it's almost something that you already believe."

The 25-year-old Mexican can believe it now. Ochoa led wire to wire and closed with a 74 for a 5-under-par 287 total, good for a four-stroke victory over Korea's Jee Young Lee (71) and Sweden's Maria Hjorth (71). Ochoa, whose 67 on Thursday tied for the low round of the week, entered the final round with a six-shot lead and was never threatened. The final four-shot margin was the closest anyone came to Ochoa on a cold, damp day at St Andrews, a sharp contrast to the dry, windy conditions players faced on Saturday.

"Today was tough," said Ochoa, who went out in 34 and went as low as 8 under before posting three bogeys on the back nine. "I like the wind, it's no problem. But when it gets cold, I don't like that. A little rain, the golf club slips. Things just start changing but I was able to have control and I was able to manage myself. It was important to get a few birdies on the front and it made things a lot easier on the back."

The only time Ochoa faced any real danger Sunday came on the par-5 17th Road Hole, which Germany's Martina Eberl took a 10 on earlier in the day. Ochoa's second shot came out low and found a pot bunker short and left of the green. After hitting out sideways, Ochoa got a fortuitous bounce on her fourth shot and pitched the ball on the green to safety. She two-putted for bogey there, a bogey she would later describe as her best ever.

After Ochoa hit her tee shot in the middle of the fairway on the par-4 18th, she knew she had the tournament won.  Ochoa two-putted for a par and was lifted off the ground by her English caddie, David Brooker. Shortly afterward, she was greeted by her father Javier and a lot of champagne.

Ochoa, who now owns four victories this season and 13 for her career, met one goal earlier this year by overtaking Annika Sorenstam for the No. 1 world ranking. Now that she owns a major, there's little doubt that we've entered the Era of Ochoa in women's golf.

"This is my fifth year on tour and my first time ranked No. 1 in the world," said Ochoa. "And there were a lot of people saying that I wasn't good enough or that I couldn't win a major. Or asking when I'm going to win a major. And I understood very well because I hadn't won one. It's a big step forward. I did it and there's no more to say."