A few months back in April, I penned a piece for Golf News Net that was a comparison and contrast of Lorena Ochoa and Jiyai Shin - the two best female players in the world right now.  The piece discussed how Ochoa was facing the weight of so many things happening off of the course, including preparing for her marriage.  Shin, on the other hand, was facing the realities of moving to the United States - away from her family - and adjusting to full-time status on the LPGA Tour.

At the time, I wondered if these transitions were an explanation of their mutually less dominant play.  Now, it appears more evident that Shin may have come out of this transition first. 

Shin won the Wegmans LPGA by seven shots on Sunday to take over the money list lead and, likely, the frontrunner position in the Player of the Year race.  She once again pulled within 5 points of Lorena Ochoa's 115 week grip atop the Rolex Rankings.  In her last three starts, Shin has finished T12, 3rd at the LPGA Championship, and a win.

Ochoa has not finished inside of the top 10 since her win in Mexico in late April.  Her win then is a cautionary tale now about assuming that Shin has turned a corner.  Ochoa has only played three times since the win in April at the Corona Championship.  Shin has played six times and improved her finish in almost every start in that time span.  Perhaps it is just playing more often that has helped Shin.  She could finally take advantage of weekly play that the LPGA Tour schedule has sorely been missing to this point in 2009.

Still, Ochoa has shown signs that things are not working for her.  She has switched caddies and will debut the new sidekick in Ohio this week.  Heading into the US Women's Open at Saucon Valley, Ochoa will have a week to develop chemistry with her new caddy and get her game together to win the biggest tournament of the season.

Regardless, Shin is no closer to Ochoa's number one ranking than she was in April.  In fact, it is about the same margin as then.  Until Shin can inch within two points of Ochoa, the change at the top can not even be considered inevitable.

Curiously enough, both players will lack the motivation that Americans will have to get the double Solheim Cup points associated with the championship.  Perhaps that motivation will drive an American to take the national championship.