Ochoa enjoying view from the top

By Larry Fine

HAVRE DE GRACE, Maryland (Reuters) - Lorena Ochoa admits to being a scoreboard watcher and she enjoyed the view on Friday as she jumped to the top in the LPGA Championship.

The Mexican finished the second round in prime position to win her third straight major title.

"I just like to see where I am at and what I need to do," Ochoa told reporters after a tournament-low 65 gave her a one-stroke lead at Bulle Rock on 10-under-par 134.

"I think it's just good to be in the lead. Because my name means something you know. And I think in a way that's what I am trying to do, to put pressure on other players and to let them know that I want to win."

Victory would make the world number one the fourth women's professional to win three majors in a row following Babe Zaharias in 1950, Mickey Wright (1961-62) and Pat Bradley

(1985-86).

Ochoa, who won her first major in last year's British Open at St Andrews and followed that by winning the Kraft Nabisco major this year, leads Australian Lindsey Wright by one stroke with Canadian Lorie Kane another shot back.

"I'm never worried about the other players. I'm just happy that I feel good with my game. I'm comfortable," Ochoa said.

The slim Mexican, one of the tour's longest hitters, made playing partner Morgan Pressel uneasy about standing 40-50 yards behind her after their tee shots.

"We were walking on number 10 and for the third time in 10 holes I had 121 yards to the pin," said Ochoa, who shared that statistical coincidence with Pressel. "She said, 'shut up. I had five times 195 yards.' I was like, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll shut up.'"

SOFT CONDITIONS

Ochoa took full advantage of soft conditions at Bulle Rock, where heavy rain caused officials to allow players to lift, clean and place balls the first two rounds.

Firing at pins on the receptive greens, Ochoa made five birdie putts of three feet and had 17 good birdies chances in what she described as her best round of the season.

"Her swing was good as it's been," her caddie David Brooker told Reuters. "She's missed two fairways in two days. For someone who rips it 270, that does it."

Ochoa said she might unwind on Friday evening by going to a movie.