Q: How long is Lorena Ochoa likely to remain No. 1 on the LPGA Tour? I see she’s opened up a sizeable lead in the rankings and she’s only 26.
— D.V. from Madison, Wis.

A: I’d throw out the caution flag on that one, D.V., accompanied by a bit of perspective. As “sizeable” as Ochoa’s lead currently is — 8.79 points over Norway’s Suzann Pettersen — it isn’t as large as the one Annika Sorenstam held over Paula Creamer (8.82) when the Rolex rankings made their debut in February of 2006. At that point, Ochoa was ranked seventh, a whopping 12.37 behind the then-dominant Swede. Oh, what a six-win season (like Ochoa had in 2006) can do for you, because the engaging Mexican stormed onto Sorenstam’s heels and eventually overtook her in late April of 2007, roughly 60 weeks later. Now, the process was helped along by the fact Sorenstam won just three times in 2006 and got shut out in 2007, so unless Ochoa hits a rut like that (which is unlikely), I’d suggest her lead is safe for another 18 to 24 months or so, maybe even longer. Certainly, Pettersen (five wins) and Creamer (two) had strong 2007 campaigns and are capable of reeling off three or more this year to keep the heat on, but as you pointed out, Ochoa is only 26 and getting better every tournament.

Q: Five of the Top 10 players (as of Jan. 20) haven’t won a major. Which one is most likely to first accomplish the feat?
— Lou Douglas from Kissimmee, Fla.

A: Based on your presentation, my choices are No. 3 Steve Stricker, No. 6 Justin Rose, No. 7 K.J. Choi, No. 8 Adam Scott, and No. 9 Rory Sabbatini. My suspicion is, more people would vote for Choi, based on his consistency and the fact he’s won all five times he’s held a 54-hole lead. But I’ll throw my vote to Scott.

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Q: Is PGA Tour rookie Jason Day the real deal?
— Greg from Glendale, Ariz.

A: Be serious, Greg, the kid has never made a cut as a PGA Tour member. Only kidding, because obviously he’s had just one bid thus far, rounds of 73-70 leaving him on the outside looking in at the Sony Open. From all reports, Day is the complete package and you’d have to say he’s got a flair for the dramatic, having won his debut on the Nationwide Tour last season and eventually finished fifth on the money list to earn his way onto the PGA Tour. No doubt, he can play, but at 20, there’s an awful lot of learning and growing up that he’ll be asked to handle, while at the same time he’s got to match scores with the world’s greatest players. It will take a special talent to do it, but he’s got plenty of support in his corner.

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