World's No.1 coping with recent deaths in her family

By CHIP SCOGGINS, Star Tribune

Last update: June 24, 2008 - 11:12 PM

Through most of her interview Tuesday Lorena Ochoa did OK. She smiled, laughed, joked, exuding the personality that has made her one of the most compelling personalities on the LPGA Tour.

But at the end, Ochoa showed the pain is still there. Her career year on the course has been accomplished despite losses off it. First, an uncle on her father's side died in May while Ochoa was traveling home to Guadalajara, Mexico, from South Carolina.

Less than two weeks later, during the LPGA Championship, her maternal grandfather became ill and died hours before she teed off for the final round. Ochoa didn't find out until she finished the round. She holed a birdie putt on 18 to finish one shot out of a playoff, walked off the green and was told the news by her brother, Javier.

"I'm doing OK," Ochoa said. "I think family is the most important thing. It was hard. It is still hard today, but it gives me motivation to play good for them, for my family."

Remembering a friend

The USGA honored Minneapolis native and U.S. Open champion Patty Berg by holding the "Patty Berg Swing Parade" clinic on Tuesday. Hall of Famers Kathy Whitworth and Patty Sheehan and former tour player Peggy Kirk Bell conducted the clinic but also in attendance was Golden Valley resident Mary Jane Bengston, who was one of Berg's close friends growing up and a standout golfer herself.

Bengston and Berg, who died in 2006, lived a block from each other as kids, went to school together and played a round of golf with their fathers every July 4th.

Bengston won the women's championship at Interlachen in 1940 and said she even beat Berg once -- with an asterisk.

"I was playing with her and she grounded her club," said Bengston, who kept in touch with Berg over the years. "That was her mistake and I won."

Bengston, 90, does not play anymore although she still likes to hit balls and even went to the driving range last week. She turns 91 in early August and her goal is to hit a drive off the 10th tee at Interlachen.

Sleeping at home

Edina's Hilary Lunke still is not completely happy with her ball striking after two practice days, but the 2003 U.S. Open champion said she believes she can play well despite playing in only her fourth event this season.

"My ball striking is a little bit shaky so far," she said. "If I can really start hitting my drives consistently solid I think I can have a good tournament because I feel like I'm putting really well."

Lunke will take the tournament's first shot at 7 a.m. Thursday.

"Someone said, 'Oh, can you believe you're being honored with that?'" she said. "I said, 'Well, I guess I'll look at it as an honor to be up at 7 a.m. teeing off first.' But it will be pretty cool to lead off the tournament with the first shot."

Staff writer Kent Youngblood contributed to this report.