Michael Ventre

Because Tiger Woods is a rock star of sports, it only stands to reason that a junior Tiger might be proportionately as popular.

Tiger is handsome, multi-ethnic, personable, charismatic, intelligent and confident. Above all else, he is dominant. There is nobody like him in golf. As a result, people flock to see him. He is beloved by old ladies, little kids, club pros and old duffers, weekend hackers and $1,000 Nassau hustlers. I would venture to guess that even the birds in the trees, who are sometimes in danger when he tees off, still have his poster hanging in their nests.

And naturally, all of his excellence on the course translates into worldwide popularity and oodles of dollars.

It might be somewhat condescending to refer to Lorena Ochoa, the distaff version, as a “junior Tiger.” But think of it this way: If I’m a golfer and someone wants to condescend to me by comparing me to Tiger, then by all means condescend away.

But unfortunately, it’s not that easy. In most of the sports world, Ochoa is not looked down upon, simply because in order to do that people would have to take notice. Instead, she is hardly mentioned at all.

That is bizarre, because her exploits in women’s golf are Tigeresque. This weekend the 26-year-old Ochoa will be shooting for her fourth straight LPGA Tour victory as she competes in the Ginn Open. If she does it — and she’s off to a good start, firing a first-round 68 on Thursday to finish one stroke behind the co-leaders — she will be the first player on the women’s tour to win four consecutive tournaments since Annika Sorenstam in 2001.

If this were Tiger — and let’s face it, often it is — ESPN would start a new cable network just to cover it. Mainstream media outlets that rarely let a mention of golf within their borders save for the occasional gift-giving suggestion for the man of the house around the holidays suddenly turn into Tiger connoisseurs.

But it isn’t Tiger. It’s a low-key woman from Mexico, and this is the LPGA Tour. She isn’t exactly Heidi Montag from “The Hills.”

Whenever a new season starts among the men, talk turns to Tiger’s bid to win the Grand Slam. He has not won the four major tournaments in one calendar year. And he won’t in 2008, either, since he slipped a bit and failed to win the Masters. So the Tiger media bombardment has simmered down into a blitz. He’s still everywhere, he just isn’t getting the 24/7 treatment, although don’t be surprised if somebody produces a special about his recent surgery entitled, “Tiger: A Man And His Knee.”

Ochoa has won 18 titles over the past 24 months. When she captured the Corona Championship in Mexico recently — by 11 strokes, no less — it qualified her for the LPGA Hall of Fame, although she can’t get in until she completes 10 seasons on tour.

Women's world rankings Player Country Score 1. Lorena Ochoa Mexico 19.54 2. Annika Sorenstam Sweden 11.52 3. Suzann Pettersen Norway 9.00 4. Paula Creamer USA 7.94 5. Karrie Webb Australia 6.34 6. Yani Tseng Taiwan 6.16 7. Cristie Kerr USA 5.31 8. Seon-Hwa Lee S. Korea 5.13 9. Jeong Jang S. Korea 5.12 10. Ji-Yai Shin S. Korea 4.83 Through July 6

The other women aren’t necessarily afraid of her. But like Sorenstam before her — and like Tiger now — there is probably a resignation, an acceptance that Ochoa’s time has arrived and wresting a tournament title away from her will be like overcoming Tiger on a Sunday when he has the lead.

Tiger, by his own description, is a “Cablinasian,” a cultural mix of Caucasian, Black, American-Indian and Asian. His unique background adds an exotic element to his presence that fans probably find intriguing. He represents the crème from the American melting pot.

Ochoa, on the other hand, is Mexican, and it can’t be dismissed that right now, with anti-illegal immigrant fervor spreading to many in the Latino community, perhaps Ochoa is not as popular here in the states as she should be. A superior golfer on the women’s tour has a rough enough time gaining attention. Her nationality might also be a hindrance to the less enlightened in this country, of which there are more than a few.

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