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LORENA Ochoa edged out South Korean Shin Jiyai to become the LPGA Player of the Year for a fourth successive time on Monday. Swede Anna Nordqvist's win in the season-ending LPGA Tour Championship helped Ochoa achieve it. World No. 1 Ochoa coolly birdied the final hole for a five-under-par 67 at The Houstonian Golf and Country Club to finish alone in second place at 11-under 205, two strokes behind Nordqvist who signed off with a 65. Shin, who led Ochoa in the Player of the Year race going into the weather-delayed tournament, had to settle for a share of eighth place at six under after closing with a 73. The bespectacled South Korean would have overhauled Ochoa with a birdie at the last but her chip from greenside rough slid past the right edge of the cup. Ochoa, who ended her season with three victories and 13 top-10 finishes in 22 starts, had tears in her eyes as she watched Shin's missed birdie attempt from the edge of the 18th green. 'This has been the toughest (Player of the Year award) and for sure the one that I am going to enjoy the most,' the Mexican said. 'Everything came down to the last hole and I am just really proud of the way I finished. 'I can be happy. I'm going to go home and rest and enjoy that top position. 'It's not easy being on top for four years in a row,' added the world No. 1 who edged out Shin by 160 points to 159. Shin, who had already been voted LPGA Rookie of the Year after winning three times on the circuit, rued her putting display on the front nine which she covered in one-over 37. 'My putting was so bad,' the 21-year-old said. 'But I have learned a lot from this year. I need more focus and concentration, more everything.' Reuters
FINAL SCORES: 203: Anna Nordqvist 70-68-65 205: Lorena Ochoa 66-72-67 206: Choi Na Yeon 70-72-64, Kristy McPherson 69-67-70 209: Sophie Gustafson 70-71-68, Kim Song Hee 73-68-68, Park Hee Young 70-72-67 210: Ai Miyazato 73-68-69, Suzann Pettersen 72-68-70, Shin Jiyai 70-67-73, Tseng Ya-ni 69-71-70
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