Lorena Ochoa’s crackling irons and dead-center putting captured the Safeway International for the second year in a row. Low-rena did it again.

The #1 player on the LPGA tour shot a smooth six-under 66 to pull away from the field and finish at -22, seven shots clear of second place finisher, Jee Young Lee, who shot a so-so even-par round of 72 for a total of -15 and another excellent week of play.

The final round, under the brooding gaze of Arizona’s Superstition Mountain, began with signs that Sunday might be a tight race to the finish. Lorena’s birdie, bogey, birdie, bogey through the sixth hole found Jee Young Lee only one shot back at -14. But when Lorena birdied 8 and 9 with putts that lifted the gallery to its feet, you could almost feel the inevitability of her win begin to build. The birdies continued to fall and Lorena never looked back.

First round leader Angela Stanford was one over par when she reached lucky hole 13, where she proceed to build a snowman 8. To her credit, she birdied two holes coming in to finish with a two-over round of 74 and a tie for 4th place at -13. All in all, a terrific tournament for Angela.

Minea Blomqvist arrived in third place at -14, shooting an excellent 67 that included six birdies. Laura Davies also shot 67 that soared the veteran into a top-ten tie with Annika Sorenstam and three other players at -11. Suzann Petterson finished tied in 22nd place at -7. Paula Creamer ended up tied in 46th place at -3.

The LPGA is on fire again this year.

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