Ochoa wins fourth straight tournament

Lorena Ochoa became the first LPGA Tour player in 45 years to win four tournaments in consecutive weeks.

Ochoa shot a 3-under-par 69 in the final round of the Ginn Open at Reunion, Fla., on Sunday and beat rookie Yani Tseng by three strokes for her fifth victory in six starts this year.

Ochoa trailed early in the final round but went ahead for good with three straight birdies beginning at No. 8. She finished 19 under and became the second player to win four times in as many weeks.

Mickey Wright did it in 1962 and 1963. Kathy Whitworth (1969) and Annika Sorenstam (2001) also won four consecutive events, but both took a week off during their runs.

Sorenstam (2004-05) and Nancy Lopez (1978) hold the tour record with five straight victories in events entered, but neither of those came in consecutive weeks.

Ochoa will give her colleagues a chance to take the spotlight next week in South Florida. She will sit out the Stanford Invitation Pro-Am and will try to make it five straight in two weeks in Tulsa, Okla.

Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., shot a final-round 71, tied for 17th at 283 and earned $29,048. Tracy Hanson of Rathdrum finished at 290 after a 72.

PGA

Boo Weekley won his second straight Verizon Heritage – and didn’t need any dramatic chip-ins to do it.

Weekley captured his second career PGA Tour title at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C., shooting an even-par 71 for a three-shot victory over Anthony Kim (71) and Aaron Baddeley (69).

A year ago, Weekley needed chips on the 71st and 72nd holes to edge Ernie Els by a stroke. In this one, Weekley took a three-shot lead into the final round and watched it grow by mostly staying trouble free, and seeing competitors struggle to try and catch up.

“It was a lot easier than last year, wasn’t it?” Weekley said to his group on the 17th hole after his routine par.

Champions Tour

Tom Watson successfully defended his Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am title at Lutz, Fla., saving bogey after hitting into the water on No. 18 for a 1-under 70 and a one-stroke victory over Jay Haas and Scott Hoch.

European PGA Tour

Ireland’s Damien McGrane won his first European tour title, capturing the China Open at Beijing by nine strokes in heavy rain after closing with a 1-over 73.