No matter where she plays golf in this country, Lorena Ochoa has fans. Sure, she's the best woman golfer in the world right now, but the friendly young player isn't just popular with the country club set.
Ochoa out-polled Mexico's president to be named Mexican of the year for 2007, and Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Golf is only part of it.
At many tournaments, Ochoa visits with the course maintenance crews, many of whom are Latino immigrants. She thanks them for their work and talks about life back home.
Ochoa laughs when asked about "distractions" that accompany her high profile. She takes pride in being a role model and representing Mexico.
"I always do it with a smile on my face, and I think it's a part of everything," Ochoa said. "It's like paying taxes – you know, hopefully you pay a lot of taxes. It is part of my job."
Today and tomorrow, I'll be working as a course marshal at the U.S. Women's Open and watching her do her job.
