file photo/Associated Press UA sophomore Lorena Ochoa, 20, holds her follow through on the fifth tee during the final round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship March 31 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Ochoa will attempt to extend her NCAA-record winning streak to eight tournaments beginning today in Walla Walla, Wash.

Women's golf tries to defend Pac-10 title

When Guadalajara, Mexico native Lorena Ochoa came to Tucson, she was expected to make an impact.

Eleven tournament victories and the 2001 national player of the year award later, Ochoa is a record-setting player who has already done her fair share of damage on the pro level - and she is only a sophomore.

"After playing last year, I thought I was capable of winning every tournament I faced,'' Ochoa said. "I worked very hard last summer with my coach back home, and so I decided that I should have a goal of winning every college tournament."

Winning every tournament may be a lofty goal for an underclassman, but for Ochoa it has not been so far-fetched.

Ochoa has won every tournament she has played in this year, and not even a pressure-packed three-week tour on the LPGA circuit could slow her.

In fact, it only gave her a bigger head of steam.

While playing with the pros Ochoa finished in the top 10 in two of the three tournaments in which she played, including a fifth-place finish in the Welch's/Circle K Championship in Tucson.

She has already established herself as one of the most dominant golfers in collegiate, let alone Wildcat history.

In the 20 rounds of collegiate golf she has played thus far this season, Ochoa has shot par or better 17 times.

But Ochoa's streak of seven straight individual titles is not the only thing the Wildcats must defend.

Last season, led by Ochoa, the Wildcats claimed their second-straight Pacific-10 Championship.

Ochoa said the field is tough, but she is expecting good things.

"We have been working very hard," Ochoa said. "We have had a few injuries, but we are ready for the Pac-10 championships. I won (the tournament) last year and hopefully I will be able to do that again."

There will be plenty of teams aiming to dethrone Arizona from its seat atop the Pac-10 tourney, which the Wildcats have won four out of the last five years.

"We feel like we are the dominant school in the Pac-10," head coach Greg Allen said. "We want to go out there and win that thing."

Allen said his team's health has been a constant concern of late, and with the addition of the increased intensity a postseason tournament brings, the next few days could be very interesting.

"The season is starting to heat up," Allen said. "Having two weeks off is really important."

Arizona will be seeded second headed into the first postseason tournament, behind intrastate rival Arizona State.

The biggest question mark for Arizona will be the availability of Mar Garcia - little sister to pro star Sergio and senior Cristina Baena.

Garcia has been hampered by a shoulder injury, and Baena has been slowed with a hurt wrist.

"When Garcia is healthy I really like our top four," Allen said. "Our team is finally starting to take some shape."

If Arizona was able to pull off the three-peat, it would be the first team title of the season for Allen's team.

The teams will play 18 holes each day at the Walla Walla, (Wash.) Country Club, with rounds beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday and 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

Arizona will play the first round with top seed Arizona State and third seed Southern California.