Ochoa and Woods a case study

• By Randall Mell
• Sep 17, 2009 3:45 PM ET

What’s happening to Lorena Ochoa proves she’s human and quite normal.

It’s also all the more reason to marvel at what Tiger Woods is doing.

A year ago, Ochoa won seven LPGA titles and four in a row in the spring.

Though she’s still No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, she has won only twice this season. She was reported to have been grilled with unfriendly queries about her lack of dominance while appearing at a charity event in Mexico City last week. Before this week’s Samsung World Championship started, she cited how her life is changing off the course, how she’s trying to strike a better balance between her private life and professional life. She has an upcoming marriage that she said she’s excited about.

It’s normal to expect that one’s ambitions and drive would be challenged while making such changes.

That’s the marvel of Woods, whose ambition hasn’t been dented by marriage, children, money or injury.

Yes, we know Woods is motivated to break Jack Nicklaus’ mark of 18 majors, but the drive to keep improving when you’re already at the top of your profession is an extraordinary quality.
 
"In any business, it's hard to go to the office or golf course every single day and want to be better, particularly when you are the best already," two-time U.S. Open winner Andy North said.
 
After stepping away from golf, Annika Sorenstam said that was her largest challenge, staying motivated to stay on top.