The young Mexican star has had her share of stumbles.

Along with that collapse in Phoenix, she had a chance to win the U.S. Women’s Open at Cherry Hills last year when she duck-hooked her tee shot into the water on No. 18 and took a quadruple-bogey 8. And while she made eagle on the 18th hole to get into a playoff this year at the Kraft Nabisco, Ochoa blew a three-shot lead in the final round and lost on the first extra hole.

“When you make mistakes your first year or second year, you get them out of your way and then you make good things come,” she said. “I’m a positive person, and I learn a lot and it’s not going to happen again, those bad shots.”

Maybe the best is yet to come, especially in the majors, the one gap in her credentials this year.

And that won’t make it easier for Sorenstam.

Motivation has never been an issue with Sorenstam. Even when she failed in her bid to win the Grand Slam, either after the first major or the third, she was a master at redefining her goals and achieving them.

What she has lacked over the last five years is serious competition.

Ever since Karrie Webb eased into the background after dominating the majors for three years, the closest anyone has come to challenging Sorenstam’s supremacy during the last five years was Se Ri Pak, a battle that didn’t last long.

Just as it is with Tiger Woods, the gap is as big as Sorenstam wants it to be.

Ochoa is different. She set an NCAA record by winning eight straight tournaments at Arizona, and she has never finished lower than ninth on the LPGA Tour money list in her four years. Unlike the American youth getting all the hype, Ochoa delivers.

Slide show Coming up aces A look at golf’s hot stars, on and off the course more photos

Sorenstam’s swing has not been up to her standards this year, and she said last week that some mechanical issues have cost her length off the tee, problems that she was trying to fix as the season wound down. Ochoa was driving the ball slightly longer than Sorenstam at Bighorn, and she is a superior putter.

Their duel in the desert bore a minor resemblance to Woods and Vijay Singh in Boston two years ago, when Singh beat him head-to-head in the final round to replace Woods at No. 1 in the world. Singh went on to win nine times that year and dominated golf until Woods returned to the top with six victories the next year, including two majors.

Singh, however, was 41 and headed toward the twilight of his career.

Ochoa is 24 and just getting started.

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