Meeting an idol

Even before actually stepping on Philippine soil a few days back, former world’s top female golfer Lorena Ochoa told this writer that she already experienced Filipino hospitality and friendship, courtesy of the two Philippine campaigners on the US LPGA tour – Jennifer Rosales and Dorothy Delasin.

“We are very close especially when I was still on the tour. We are friends,” says Ochoa, formerly the world’s top female golfer on the US LPGA Tour for 157 weeks until she retired in 2010.

Ochoa patiently signed autographs for more than a hundred students of Everest Golf Academy in Taguig Monday morning and then proceeded to the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club where she did the ceremonial tee-off for the Everest Academy Golf Cup which was a sold-out event with around 133 golfers in attendance. She was joined by Mexican Ambassador to the Philippines Julio Camalena during the ceremonial tee off.

The Everest Academy, the only international Catholic school in the Philippines, is a school organized and managed by the Legionaries of Christ which started in Mexico and has a number of schools worldwide, only one of which is in Asia.

At Wack-Wack, after her ceremonial tee off, she proceeded to Hole no. 14, a par three 132 yards from the blue tee, using a Ping 7 iron and whoever is closer to the pin gets a prize. Nobody did. She then patiently went to each tee mound to allow the golfers to have pictures taken with her and to sign autographs of the star-struck participants.

Ochoa arrived early Saturday and shared two days of her expertise on the range and course of The Country Club with the ICTSI girls team. She leaves today (Tuesday).

The ICTSI members are Princess Superal, gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games, Pauline del Rosario, Abby Arevalo, Sofia Chabon, Mika Fortuna, Sam Green, Sam Martirez and Bernice Ilas.

The Mexican Ochoa retired from the LPGA in 2010 and has since devoted her time to her husband and two kids.

Through the Lorena Ochoa Foundation, she opened three schools for elementary children in Mexico. She was named 2007 Women’s Sports Foundation Individual Sportswoman of the Year, recognized as one of Newsweek magazine’s 11 Most Powerful Women in 2007 and one of Glamour magazine’s 2007 Women of the Year.

In 2008, Ochoa was selected as TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, named one of Fitness magazine’s Fit 50 and won her third consecutive recognition as the GWAA Female Player of the Year.

Ochoa, then 28, announced in 2010 that she was stepping away from competitive golf, ending her reign as the LPGA’s top player.

She now runs her foundation dedicated to education and sports to improve the lives of marginalized children in Mexico.

What really impressed many is Ochoa’s humility, despite her international stature. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for some of our athletes, including golfers, who have allowed a few wins to get to their heads.

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