Strolling through Palm Spring airport this morning at 6:20, I happened upon a cute brunette in tight jeans and a gray Izod sweater, sans makeup with her hair in a ponytail. She was nursing a warm beverage and flipping through Time Magazine. Lorena Ochoa can blend into the crowd anywhere but on a golf course.

Noting her bloodshot eyes, I asked how late the party had raged. "Until about three hours ago," she said with a laugh. "We had almost 100 Mexicans at the [rented] house. Of course we all wound up in the pool."

No rest for the weary: Ochoa was bound for this week's LPGA event in Mexico. With 11 victories in the past 13 months, she is golf's most prolific winner, but Ochoa has often struggled on her home soil, where the distractions are legion. I have a feeling this is the week will be different.

This morning Ochoa couldn't have been more relaxed or chipper. A few more hours of sleep and she'll be ready to take on the world, again.

(Photo: Robert Beck/SI)