RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--For much of the final round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship, about the only suspense was who would join Lorena Ochoa in the traditional champion's jump into the lake off the 18th green at Mission Hills Country Club. Ochoa put another dominating performance Sunday, firing a bogey-free round of 5-under-par 67 to win the LPGA Tour's first major of the season and her second in a row.

Ochoa's 67 was the low round of the day. She birdied her first two holes and never looked back, finishing the tournament at 11-under-par 277, five strokes ahead of Annika Sorenstam (68) and Suzann Pettersen (68). Maria Hjorth (71) was six strokes back at 5 under.

"I woke up this morning and I was feeling great," said Ochoa, whose victory was the 20th of her career, leaving her one point shy of qualifying for the Hall of Fame. "I was just trying not to get too uptight and to be calm. For some reason, though, I couldn't stop thinking about that jump in the lake."

After being presented with the trophy on the 18th green, Ochoa joined hands with her mother and father and took the historic swim started by Amy Alcott 20 years ago. At the same time, Ochoa's brother and manager, Alejandro, caddie Dave Brooker and coach Rafael Alarcon leapt off a nearby bridge into the water. They were then joined by several other friends and relatives which seemed to number about 15 at one point.

"They have been coming here for eight years," said Ochoa of the group of friends from her hometown of Guadalajara who joined her for the water celebration. "We are almost like family. They come every year. So we promised each other that if we jump in the lake, it's going to be all of us."

During the trophy ceremony on 18, a Mariachi Band hired by the grounds crew at Mission Hills Country Club played. Ochoa met with the crew prior to her pro-am round on Wednesday, which she does frequently at different events during the season. She even helped cook scrambled eggs for the crew.

Ochoa's triumph at Nabisco was her third in four starts this season and, amazingly, her smallest margin of victory. Ochoa won the HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore by 11 shots and last week's Safeway International in Arizona by seven shots. Asked if she felt anyone or anything could stop the Ochoa Express right now, she replied, "I'd like to believe nothing and nobody. "I know I put up some high goals this year, but I want to try to keep going and let the momentum flow. I really believe I can win any tournament I play."

Coupled with her win at last year's Weetabix Women's British Open, Ochoa is now halfway to an "Ochoa Slam." Next up is the McDonald's LPGA Championship, which takes place June 5-8th at Bulle Rock Golf Course in Havre de Grace, Md. That's followed three weeks later by the U.S. Women's Open at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn.

"I think there are things you can improve every week," said Ochoa, whose won eight of her last 13 starts on tour. "Yesterday I missed a few putts. The day before I three-putted a couple times. There's always room to improve. I'm going to try to just keep getting better and, hopefully, win a lot of tournaments."

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--There was a time during Saturday's third round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship that Annika Sorenstam didn't know whether she'd be able to play on. Bothered by a stomach bug, only a string of birdies prevented her from walking off the course and going home early.

Sorenstam not only played on, but she fired the second-lowest round of the day on Sunday, a 4-under-par 68, to finish in a second-place tie with Suzann Pettersen, five shots back of Lorena Ochoa. For awhile, it looked like Sorenstam might even challenge Ochoa for the lead, after birdies on holes 7 and 8 moved her to 5-under par, just three shots back. But she missed a 12-foot birdie opportunity on No. 9 and Ochoa birdied holes 8, 9 and 10 to pull away.

"I'm glad I finished," said Sorenstam. "I'm pleased to come back and fight the way I did and I'm going to remember this round for many reasons. You know, try and take the positive out of this and move on. I gave what I had, that's all I could have asked for. I just have to make sure that I'm 100 percent in all four rounds next time."

Sorenstam started to feel better on Sunday morning as soon as she walked inside the ropes and the adrenaline got flowing. A birdie on the second hole lifted her spirits even more, but she was unable to make up for Saturday's 73 and catch Ochoa, who denied Sorenstam's bid for an 11th major title.

"I'm not really sure one more round would be enough," Sorenstam said. "Lorena is really playing solid. She's just moving forward and forward every round and she's not giving any back."

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--For much of the final round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Sunday, about the only remaining suspense was who would join Lorena Ochoa in the traditional champion's plunge in the pond off the 18th green. Ochoa birdied her first two holes and fired a bogey-free round of 5-under-par 67 to win the LPGA Tour's first major of the season by five shots.

It was another dominating performance by the 26-year-old Mexican, who finished at 11-under par overall, five shots better than Annika Sorenstam (68) and Suzann Pettersen (68).

Ochoa's win was her third in four starts this season and her eighth in her last 13 starts, dating back to last year's Weetabix Women's British Open at St Andrews. It was her second consecutive major triumph after going winless in her first 24 attempts.

Ochoa was joined in the traditional jump off the 18th green by her mother and father and several other members of her entourage, including her brother Alejandro and caddie, Dave Brooker, who actually took the leap from the bridge surrounding 18.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--It's Lorena Ochoa's tournament to win--or lose.

Ochoa sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-5 9th hole, walking the putt in a la Tiger Woods, and added her third consecutive birdie on the 10th hole and is 5-under par on her final round and 11 under for the tournament at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Ochoa's lead is five strokes over Annika Sorenstam, who just birdied the 11th hole to move to 6-under par. Sorenstam is 4 under on her round. Two players are at 5 under, including Norway's Suzann Pettersen.

Ochoa still has some work to do to win her second major championship and 11th LPGA tournament since the start of the 2007 season. The back nine at Mission Hills Country Club is definitely the tougher of the two, and Ochoa has some past demons there, having triple-bogeyed the par-3 17th hole during last year's third round.

Reigning U.S. Open champion Cristie Kerr, playing in the final group with Ochoa, is having a miserable round. Kerr, who fired a 66 on Saturday, is 7-over par through nine holes and +3 for the tournament. She took a quadruple-bogey 7 on the par-3 5th hole, hitting the ball in the water twice off the tee.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--The final nine holes at the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Sunday might turn into a match-play event between world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa and South Korea's Hee-Won Han. The two have separated themselves from the field in the early stages of the final round, with Ochoa leading at 8-under par and Han two shots back at 6-under par. The next closest player in the field is Annika Sorentam at 4 under. Sorenstam just birdied the par-4 7th hole and is 2 under on the day, as is Ochoa. Ochoa and Han have played four holes.

Fellow South Korean Seon Hwa Lee had it to 5-under par but triple-bogeyed the par-3 5th hole. Cristie Kerr, who started the day at 4 under, has three bogeys and a birdie on her card through four holes and is at 2 under, while Suzann Pettersen (-1 thru 6) leads a group of three players at 3-under par.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--Lorena Ochoa birdied her first two holes on Sunday to build a three-shot lead early in the final round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Ochoa, who is seeking her second major title and 11th LPGA Tour victory since the start of the 2007 season, is at 8-under par. Three shots back at 5-under par are South Korea's Hee-Won Han and Seon Hwa Lee, the 2006 Rookie of the Year.

Reigning U.S. Women's Open champion Cristie Kerr is 1 over through three holes and is currently tied with three others, including Annika Sorenstam, at 3-under par.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--In order to accommodate television coverage on the East Coast, final-round play at the Kraft Nabisco Championship got off to an early start on Sunday. Players went off both the first and 10th tees in threesomes starting at 7:39 a.m. local time, with the leaders teeing off at 9:40. That set up the unusual circumstance in which the two players currently in 70th and 71st place respectively, Meaghan Francella and Sung Ah Yim, went off the 10th tee at the same time as the leaders.

Fifty-four hole leader Lorena Ochoa birdied the first hole and currently leads by two shoots at 7-under par over South Korea's Seon Hwa Lee and Hee-Won Han, who both reside at 5 under. Making an early charge up the leaderboard is Norway's Suzann Pettersen, who is 2 under through four holes and 4 under overall, just three shots back of Ochoa. Pettersen, who barely slipped under the cut line at +5, shot the low round of the tournament on Saturday with a 7-under 65.

CBS will broadcast the final round live from 3-6 p.m. EST.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--Lorena Ochoa has dominated her tour much as Tiger Woods has the PGA Tour the last year-and-a-half. Now, it's time to see if Ochoa is as good a finisher as Tiger.

Ochoa, winner of seven of her last 12 starts on the LPGA Tour, shot a 1-under-par 71 on Saturday and will take a one-shot advantage into the fourth and final round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Sunday. Ochoa three-putted the par-5 18th hole and finished at 6 under overall. Her next closest pursuer is South Korea's Hee-Won-Han (70) at 5 under, followed by three players at 4-under par, including defending U.S. Open champion Cristie Kerr (66).

Three players were at 3-under par, including second-round co-leader Heather Young, who also bogeyed the 18th hole to shoot 74. Three-time Nabisco champion Annika Sorenstam (73) was at 2 under and was joined there by Norway's Suzann Pettersen, who shot the low round of the tournament on Saturday with a 7-under 65.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--Cristie Kerr knew immediately after she sunk a 27-foot birdie putt on the first hole Saturday that it was going to be her day. She knew because on Friday she had dinner at P.F. Chang's China Bistro, and her fortune cookie told her so.

"It said, 'A GREAT DAY AHEAD' in capital letters," said Kerr, whose 6-under-par 66 on Saturday vaulted her into contention for her second major after three rounds at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. "So go figure. Maybe that's all it takes. I'm not going to do double-dip and try and get a different fortune."

Kerr, the defending U.S. Open champion, shot a 5-under 31 on the front nine at Mission Hills Country Club and had it to 6 under on the day before her lone bogey on the par-3 14th. She finished the day at 4 under, only two shots back of leader Lorena Ochoa. Kerr, who consistently ranks among the top putters on the LPGA Tour, had the flat stick blazing on Saturday. She saved par from 25 feet on the par-4 16th hole and then drained a 40-footer for her seventh and final birdie of the day on the par-3 17th.

"Everything kind of went my way today," Kerr said. "I hit 11 fairways, 17 greens, and I guess I made seven birdies. And the other birdies that I missed, I can tell you, there were five or six of them that looked like they were in. You know, it could have been stupid low."

Kerr, who came from eight strokes behind in the final round to win the CN Canadian Women's Open in 2006, likes her position heading into Sunday's final round, especially if her ball-striking is as good as it was on Saturday.

"I am not the kind of person that does really well when I put pressure on myself," said Kerr, "so going into tomorrow, I am just going to try and hit it down the fairway, hit it on the green. "If I hit 14, 15 greens tomorrow, I'm going to be very dangerous."

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--One of the big questions entering Saturday's third round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship was, "What's wrong with Suzann Pettersen?" Apparently, nothing at all. Pettersen fired the low round of the tournament to date, a 7-under-par 65, to catapult all the way from a tie for 62nd to a tie for 10th place at 2-under par. She was only four strokes off the pace as the leaders made the turn in the third round Saturday afternoon.

Pettersen, who vaulted 51 spots in the Rolex World Rankings to No. 2 last year after winning five times on the LPGA Tour, entered this week's event without a top-10 finish in four LPGA starts in 2008. Her best finish was a T15th at the Fields Open in Hawaii, this coming after she posted top-10 finishes in seven of her last eight starts in '07, three of those victories.

As is the case any time a top player makes an equipment change, there was some speculation that Pettersen's early struggles in '08 were the result of the new Nike Golf clubs she's playing, but she's been absolutely murdering her SasQuatch Sumo driver. The real problem has been her health--Pettersen came down with the flu at the HSBC Women's Champions event in Singapore in early March and was bed-ridden for two weeks. Her putting has also been a problem. Pettersen seemed to rectify that on Saturday by changing her posture, moving several inches closer to the ball.

"It's all putts," said Pettersen. "The first two days I had 34, 35 putts, today I had 27. That's a seven-shot difference.

"I've been playing great for a couple of weeks now, just nothing happening. The putts I needed to make I haven't made. It's been grind, grind, grind, but nothing has gone my way. Today, I turned it around."

Teeing off in the second group of the day at 5-over par, Pettersen's goal was to get back to level par for the tournament. She did two better. An eagle on the par-4 7th hole got her to 1 over and birdies on 11, 12 and 16 put her in red numbers and in contention for her second major championship. Pettersen could very well be going for her third major title in two years but blew a three-shot lead with four holes to play at last year's Nabisco. Now, she's hoping she's the one who can rally from behind and steal the championship on Sunday.

"I played my myself into the tournament again," said Pettersen. "Seven under is pretty good on a Saturday in a major. So, I mean, I'm right there."

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--It is indeed moving day at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Cristie Kerr, who started the third round in a tie for 29th place, is currently tied for the lead with Heather Young and Lorena Ochoa at 5-under par. Kerr is a blistering 7-under through 12 holes while Young and Ochoa just teed off.

Also making a big move on Saturday was Norway's Suzann Pettersen, who fired the low round of the tournament thus far with a 7-under-par 65. Pettersen started the day in a tie for 62nd at 5 over, just one shot above the cut line, but is now the official leader in the clubhouse at 2-under par.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--Five-time major winner and LPGA Hall of Famer Amy Alcott played in her 34th and final Kraft Nabisco Championship on Friday. Alcott made the announcement after shooting rounds of 79 and 77 to finish in a tie for 103rd.

"I think it's time to say that this is my last Kraft Nabisco Championship, and I do it with a very full heart, with a happy heart," said Alcott, a three-time winner here. "I love being part of this event, and I love the history of it and how it really changed the face of women's golf. I just feel it's time. I will always come back and be part of the event, but this is basically my last time teeing it up here."

Alcott, who started the tradition of the champion jumping in the pond besides the 18th green at Mission Hills Country Club, said she is not formally retiring from golf. Alcott made the LPGA's version of the "Lambeau Leap" after she won the tournament in 1988, taking the plunge with her caddie, Bill Kurre.

"I don't think anyone ever retires from golf," said Alcott, who also won the Nabisco in 1983 and 1991. "I'm doing too many other things in golf. I just finished a book that will come out next April and I'm designing golf courses and wanting to do more of those. The competitive desire is still there. I'll still play on the Legends Tour, the over-45 tour, where at least I know a few people."

As for playing on the LPGA Tour again?

"This tour, I don't see myself playing much out here," said Alcott. "Unless I got a bee in my bonnet to go to Ottawa and play in the Canadian Open and shot 62 or got hot with my game, I pretty much see this as kind of closing the door."

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--Lorena Ochoa was asked on Friday if she thought anyone could come back on the weekend from 10 strokes back.

"They always have a chance," said Ochoa, the co-leader at 5-under par after 36 holes at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. "I mean, I think if you are 10 shots back even on the last day, you still have a chance."

Perhaps Ochoa knew something because early Saturday morning, Suzann Pettersen came out in the second group of the day and fired a 7-under-par 65, vaulting back into contention at the LPGA Tour's first major of the season. Pettersen, winless in 2008 after climbing to the No. 2 spot in the world golf rankings with five victories last season, had five birdies, an eagle and no bogeys. She is at 2-under overall for the tournament, just three shots back of Ochoa and Heather Young, who were to tee off at 1:15 p.m. local time.

Pettersen had barely made the 36-hole cut at +5 after shooting a 75 on Friday.

Also making a charge on Saturday was defending U.S. Open champion Cristie Kerr, who was 5 under through 8 holes and 3 under for the tournament. Brittany Lang was also 3 under through 4 holes and -2 overall as red seems to be the color of the day at Mission Hills Country Club.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--Heather Young's second round at the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Friday couldn't have started much worse. She three-putted from 35 feet for bogey on the par-5 11th, then double bogeyed the par-4 12th after hitting her second shot from the bunker over the green. But somehow the player formerly known as Heather Bowie pulled it all together, and come tomorrow, she'll tee it up with the world's No. 1-ranked player, Lorena Ochoa, in the last group at a major championship.

"I got off to a rough start and I just tried to keep my mood up, and it served me well," said Young, who played the final 11 holes in 5-under par and is 5 under overall. "I kept telling myself, it's just a work in progress. It's not one hole, one shot, or one round. You've just got to keep going."

Young has one LPGA Tour victory to her credit, the 2005 Jamie Farr Owens Cornung Classic, and has had some success in the majors, finishing third at the 2004 Women's British Open. But a win at the Nabisco would be a major surprise: In eight previous appearances at Mission Hills Country Club, Bowie's best finish is a tie for 14th in 2002. Playing with the long-hitting Ochoa and her large contingent of fans from Mexico will also prove a challenge for the University of Texas grad.

"It's going to be a tough day, I'm sure," said Young, who tees off with Ochoa at 1:15 p.m. local time. "It's going to be very easy to get distracted. The one thing I expect out of myself is to keep my head on straight and not let distractions get in the way. If I hit bad shots, I hit bad shots. But I don't want to mentally hit them."

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--Lorena Ochoa knows all about frustration when it comes to major championships. After all, it took her 24 attempts to capture her first at last year's Weetabix Women's British Open. So, despite an agonizing second round which included a seemingly impossible lip-out on the par-5 18th hole and several more missed birdie opportunities, Ochoa was very content with her position heading into the weekend at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Ochoa followed an opening-round 68 with a 1-under-par 71 on Friday, and will tee off in the final group on Saturday with co-leader Heather Young. The pair is 5-under overall, one shot clear of Maria Hjorth and Mi Hyun Kim.

"I think overall, it was a great round," said Ochoa, who had it to 7-under par before bogeying the 12th and 15 holes. "I probably missed a lot of putts that I should have made, and they were really good birdie chances, but I prefer making those on the weekend. I'm excited to get here tomorrow, and try to go low."

Ochoa drove the green in two on No. 18 and after chipping it 10 feet by the hole, her birdie putt was headed for the heart of the cup before nose-diving to the left at the last second.

"There were a few putts out there that hurt me, but that's the way it is, it's a major championship," said Ochoa. "The important thing is that I feel strong and really confident with my game, especially with my driver."

For the first two rounds, Ochoa is averaging 283 yards per drive, more than 25 yards longer than Young. It is that decisive length advantage which makes Ochoa the clear-cut favorite to add her second major this weekend.

"She's playing phenomenal golf," said Young. "I expect her to play well, and I expect her to out-drive me on every hole. I'll have a lot of shots into the green first."

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--Annika Sorenstam is back where she belongs, in contention heading into the weekend at a major championship. Now, if only her stomach would cooperate. Sorenstam was doubled-over in pain in the practice area following her second round on Friday at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. She said her stomach started giving her problems about nine holes into the round, yet remarkably, she reeled off three consecutive birdies on holes 9, 10, and 11 and had it to 4-under par before finishing the day at 3 under, two strokes back of co-leaders Lorena Ochoa and Heather Young.

Sorenstam, seeking her first major championship win since the 2006 U.S. Women's Open and her 11th overall, missed a 3-footer for par on the par-4 12th but reeled off six straight pars to shoot 70, joining Hee-Won Han in a tie for fifth place.

"I'm close. I made a few more birdies today, not too many mistakes," said Sorenstam. "I didn't hit the ball as well as yesterday, but I finished better, cleaned it up and made a few nice saves."

For the first 36 holes, Annika has hit 22 of 28 fairways and 27 of 36 greens, but she'll need to sink a few more putts if she wants to overtake Ochoa, the world's No. 1-ranked player and a 10-time winner since the start of the 2007 season. Sorenstam has attempted 60 putts through the first two rounds on the fast, firm greens at Mission Hills Country Club, which should only get harder with dry, windy conditions forecasted for the weekend.

"This course is tough enough," said Sorenstam. "I don't need a stomach ache on top of that."

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--Lynn Marriott has mastered the art of text messenging on the fly. She has to, because she and fellow Golf for Women Top 50 Teacher Pia Nilsson have 20 players on their watch at this week's Kraft-Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills Country Club. Co-founders of the highly acclaimed VISION54 Golf School in Phoenix, Marriott and Nilsson are advisors/coaches to such notable players as Annika Sorenstam, Suzann Pettersen, Grace Park, Ai Miyazato and Liselotte Neumann. Just how do they keep track of so many players?

"We text, and we e-mail a lot," said Marriott, who was taking a breather early Friday afternoon while Nilsson was watching Miyazato complete her second round. "Obviously, we can't see everyone. The biggest thing for us is observing them play. We like to have at least nine holes of observation so we can give them our honest feedback. That's what they want."

As a result, Marriott and Nilsson are often forced to split up the players. On Friday morning, while Nilsson was with Miyazato, Marriott was checking in on Pettersen and Neumann, the latter of which led briefly at 6 under before dropping four strokes over the final four holes to finish at 2-under overall. Pettersen, who nearly won the Nabisco last year before faltering over the final few holes, finished her day at 5 over and was in jeopardy of missing the cut.

"After the round, we'll debrief with the player, tell her what we observed on the course," said Marriott. "We'll give them feedback on their body language, their preshot routine--make sure they're keeping their times consistent--how they interact with their caddie."

Yes, even the caddies are under the watchful eye of Marriott and Nilsson.

"It's very important, how the caddie and player communicate, especially on making a decision (i.e., choosing a club)," said Marriott. "Is the caddie giving out too much information. Is he rushing ahead or appearing nervous. Is the caddie's body language decisive enough. You don't want the caddie walking around with slumped shoulders because that can rub off on the player."

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--There's a Swede atop the leaderboard during second-round play at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, but not the one you might expect. Veteran Liselotte Neumann, whose last victory on the LPGA Tour came in 2004, was at 3-under par through 14 holes and was tied atop the leaderboard at 5 under with Thursday's first-round leader, Karen Stupples, who has yet to tee off.

Neumann, whose biggest win came at the 1988 U.S. Open, her first win on tour, briefly held the lead at 6-under par before a bogey on the par-5 11th hole at Mission Hills Country Club. She had birdied four of six holes prior to the bogey on No. 11. Also making a charge on Friday was South Korea's Hee-Won Han, who was at 4 under through 16 holes, one shot back of Neumann and Sorenstam.

Neumann's best finish to date at the Nabisco came in 2002, when she was runner-up to fellow Swede Annika Sorenstam. Sorenstam, at 1-under-par, is scheduled to tee off at 12:32 p.m. local time, with reigning Player of the Year Lorena Ochoa (-4) and defending champion Morgan Pressel (-1) slated to tee off in the next group at 12:40.

Japan's Ai Miyazato, who entered the day in a tie for second at 4 under, is +1 through 13 holes and at 3-under par. Other notable scores include Natalie Gulbis (+2 thru 15, -1 overall), Paula Creamer (+1 thru 15, Even overall) and Suzann Pettersen (+3 thru 15, +5 overall).

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--Annika Sorenstam used to be "the player to watch" on the scoreboard, but Lorena Ochoa's recent dominance on the LPGA Tour (seven wins in her last 12 starts dating back to last year's Weetabix Women's British Open) has given her top billing. Still, when asked on Thursday after the first round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship if she looks for Sorenstam's name, Ochoa didn't hesitate to answer.

"All the time."

The three-time Kraft Nabisco champion gave Ochoa reason to look after shooting a 1-under-par 71. That left her three shots back of Ochoa and four of leader Karen Stupples, who shot a 5-under-par 67 in dry, windy conditions at Mission Hills Country Club.

"She is a player to watch," said Ochoa of Sorenstam, whom she overtook in the Rolex world rankings early in the 2007 season. "She is so consistent and she likes to win. In a way, that keeps me alert and motivated. And I know where I stand.

"To see her name means something. You have to watch out."

Sorenstam admittedly left a few shots out there, including a 5-footer for birdie on the par-5 9th hole, her 18th of the day, that would have got her to 2 under. Still, she was very pleased with her position.

"There's a long way to go. You just have to go out and battle day by day, stroke by stroke, and take it as it comes," Sorenstam said. "That's what majors are about. I haven't done anything to ruin my chances, by any means. I feel good about my game, I just got to finish a little stronger and clean it up a little bit."

DAVIES ROLLER-COASTER ROUND
Laura Davies took a 10 on the par-5 18th hole, and had three bogeys and an eagle in a wild round of 4-over-par 76. Some other notable scores on Thursday included a 76 from 2006 Nabisco champion Karrie Webb, and 2-over-par 74s from Suzann Pettersen and reigning U.S. Open champion Cristie Kerr. Pettersen bogeyed three of her final four holes to lose to Morgan Pressel by one stroke at last year's Nabisco.

Among the top American finishers on Thursday, Heather Young and Natalie Gulbis were tied at 3-under-par, two strokes back of Stupples, and Paula Creamer and Pressel were at 1 under.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--One of the lighter moments during Lorena Ochoa's post-round press conference on Thursday was when she was asked if she felt sorry for her playing partner, Morgan Pressel, who is substantially shorter than Ochoa off the tee. And we're talking driving distance here, not height.

"I like her a lot," said the 5-foot-6 Ochoa, who was consistently looking in the rearview mirror for the defending champion in the marquee pairing of the day at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. "But what can I do?"

Ochoa laughed as if to say, 'What do you want me to do, apologize?' At only 130 pounds, the mighty Mexican may be pound per pound, the longest hitter on the planet. She is averaging 283 yards per drive in three starts this season on the LPGA Tour, second only to Laura Davies. If her stats hold up-- and she gave no reason why they shouldn't yesterday, outdriving Pressel on average by 30-40 yards -- she would be a full 12 yards longer than she was a year ago, when she won eight events and earned an LPGA Tour-record $4,364,994.

"I just wish I could hit the ball that far," said Pressel. "There was one hole, she was a good 60, 70 yards past me. I was like, 'Oh, where did that come from?' "

"I would say I'm hitting it five to seven yards longer with the driver this year," said Ochoa, whose 4-under-par 68 on Thursday left her only one stroke behind Karen Stupples.

When asked why, she credited her improved fitness level, a tighter, more compact swing, and the new Callaway Golf Tour I Series ball she's using.

"It's a combination of these things," said Ochoa.

When pressed further to explain how someone so little could generate so much power, she said: "I used to be very long and across [at the top of the swing] and I don't think I'm doing that as much this year. "And I move my hips really quick, which generates more power through the ball."

Ochoa's longtime coach, Rafael Alarcon, offers another explanation for her power surplus. Ochoa's clubhead speed was clocked as high as 117 miles per hour last year.

"She has a very big swing arc, and great tempo," he said. "You have those two things, you can generate a lot of clubhead speed. The key is to increase the speed of the club as it gets closer to impact, not lose it early."

For the last several years, Alarcon has worked on tightening Ochoa's backswing by getting the club to travel more on-plane, which makes the club significantly lighter and easier to control. They also addressed her tempo: Alarcon wanted Ochoa to pause and gather herself at the top of her backswing, so the transition to the forward swing would be smoother and the clubhead could gather more speed. Mission accomplished. A win this weekend at Nabisco would be her fourth in five LPGA starts and eight out of 13 overall.

There are no plans to undergo a radical swing change, as Tiger Woods did after he seemingly had reached the top of his game--which we're now finding out to be untrue. The major emphasis now is on Ochoa's short game, which could spell further trouble for the rest of the tour.

"You can always improve in the short game," said Alarcon. "Her long game is very consistent right now. And because she drives it so far, she hits a lot of wedges into the green. So, instead of 10 feet, you try and hit it to five and make it easier on yourself."

Ochoa's new, improved wedge game was on full display Thursday, as three of her birdies were set up by laser-like wedges, none prettier than the sand wedge she hit from 75 yards on No. 18 which spun back down the hill, five feet from the hole.

"There's always room for improvement," said Ochoa, who currently ranks first on the LPGA Tour in scoring, greens in regulation, and putts per GIR. "I think when that's up, it's time to go home. You need to find something where you can improve, and I'm going to keep looking for that."

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--Perhaps Dad should have chosen another bag.

Amateur Mallory Blackwelder, a junior at the University of Kentucky whose father, Worth, caddies for Juli Inkster, fired a 1-under-par 71 on Thursday and is only four shots back of clubhouse leader Karen Stupples during first-round play at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Blackwelder, who's Mom Myra is the coach at Kentucky and is also a former LPGA Tour player (her career-best finish was a tie for second at the 1980 Corning Classic), is currently second among amateurs. The top spot belongs to Columbia's Maria Jose Uribe, who shot a 2-under-par 70.

But Mallory was faring better than Dad, who helped carry Inkster to a 2-over-par total through 16 holes.

RANCHO MIRAGE, CA--Reigning Player of the Year Lorena Ochoa reeled off four consecutive birdies to pull into a tie with Karen Stupples atop the leaderboard during first-round action at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first major of the LPGA season.

Ochoa, teeing off on Hole No. 10 with defending champion Morgan Pressel, stuck her approach on No. 18 to four feet and sunk the birdie putt to move to 2-under par. She then birdied holes 1, 2 and 3 to join Stupples, the clubhouse leader, at 5 under. Stupples, the 2004 Weetabix Women's British Open champion, went out in the first group of the day with Heather Young and proceeded to birdie three of her first five holes en route to a front-nine 33. Stupples, who played in only eight events last season due to the birth of her son, Logan James, had five birdies and no bogeys.  Young was at 3 under par while Japan's Momoko Ueda and Annika Sorenstam were at 2-under par.

Ueda, a rookie playing in her first Kraft Nabisco, followed her lone bogey on the par-4 6th hole with four consecutive birdies and is currently through 17 holes. Sorenstam is through 16.

Other notable scores include Pressel (Even thru 15), Paula Creamer and Suzann Pettersen (Even thru 5)  and 2006 champion Karrie Webb (+2 thru 5).