Ochoa to make return in France

Published on 06/07/2012 00:36

Former women’s world No 1 Lorena Ochoa is making a limited return to golf and will play the Open de France in October, an event on the Ladies European Tour.

A statement yesterday on her website said the French tournament would be one of two sanctioned events she planned to play.

Ochoa, who won the Women’s British Open over the Old Course at St Andrews in 2007, retired in 2010 and gave birth to a son in December 2011.

The 30-year-old Mexican said she will also play in her own tournament this year, the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in November in her hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico. She missed the event last year – won by Catriona Matthew – when she was pregnant.

Ochoa has always said she would play a few occasional events, but did not foresee a return to a competitive schedule.

Meanwhile, Song-Hee Kim, of Korea, withdrew from yesterday’s first round in the US Women’s Open due to a sore neck and back. Kim, who had played in the five previous Women’s Opens and made the cut in all of them, was replaced in the field by Kiwi Cathryn Bristow.

Japan’s Ai Miyazato, American Lexi Thompson and Spaniard Beatriz Recari were the early clubhouse leaders after two-under-par 70s.