Lorena Ochoa welcomed as Honorary Member of St Andrews
A champion’s legacy meets the home of golf
Seoul, Korea - Veteran major champion Lorena Ochoa has accepted Honorary Membership of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, recognised for a career that reshaped women’s golf and for her continued influence on the sport.
The Guadalajara-born star, a two-time major winner with 27 LPGA victories, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017 and remains widely regarded as Mexico’s greatest golfer. Her first major came at St Andrews in 2007, when she opened with a 67 and led the AIG Women’s Open wire-to-wire en route to a four-stroke victory—an achievement that cemented her place in the sport’s history.
“It is a privilege to be made an Honorary Member of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews,” said Ochoa, who attended the Women’s Amateur Latin America championship this week in support of rising talent. “St Andrews holds a special place in my heart after my victory there in 2007 and I am proud to now join an esteemed group of honorary members… I loved my time playing at the top level and continue to enjoy promoting golf so more people can enjoy this wonderful sport.”
Ochoa, who held the world No.1 position for a record 158 consecutive weeks from 2007 to 2010, retired in 2010 at age 28 while still atop the global rankings to focus on her family and her charity. The Lorena Ochoa Golf Foundation now supports 29 schools across 12 Mexican states, helping 13,000 children in 2024 through scholarships rooted in education and family values.
“We welcome Lorena into our membership and look forward to seeing her in St Andrews in the future,” said Dennis Watson, Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club. “Lorena enjoyed a wonderful career, winning two major championships and reaching world number one… and has since made great strides off the course through the work of her Foundation.” Ochoa now joins a distinguished list of honorary members, including Dame Laura Davies, Ernie Els, Sir Nick Faldo, Rory McIlroy, Annika Sörenstam and Tiger Woods.