LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Title-hungry Tiger Woods and Lorena Ochoa were predictably golf's dominant figures in 2007 although the majors produced more than their fair share of surprise winners.

Woods and Mexican Ochoa, the respective world number ones, landed the final grand slam events of the year after the previous six had remarkably all been claimed by first-timers.

Zach Johnson clinched the first major of the men's season, defying all the odds when he held off a late challenge by fellow American Woods to triumph by two shots at the Masters in April.

Cigarette-puffing Angel Cabrera of Argentina followed suit in June when he became the second South American to win at the highest level with a highly popular US Open success at daunting Oakmont.

The following month, Irishman Padraig Harrington ended an eight-year major drought by Europeans with a playoff victory over Spaniard Sergio Garcia in the British Open at Carnoustie.

Woods opted out of October's PGA Grand Slam of Golf held in Bermuda for the first time, but winner Cabrera, Harrington and Johnson all took part along with Jim Furyk.

Under pressure to enhance their status as golf's leading practitioners, Woods and Ochoa duly delivered with stylish victories in August.

Woods, joint runner-up in the first two majors of the year before tying for 12th at the British Open, secured his 59th PGA Tour title in the PGA Championship at Southern Hills.

He took control of the tournament with a blistering 63 in the second round before ending a week of searing temperatures two shots ahead of his closest challenger.

Having become a proud father for the first time in June, Woods was delighted to add a 13th major trophy to his impressive collection. Only Jack Nicklaus, with 18, has more.

"Any time you win a major championship in the year it's always going to be a great year, and this certainly is," Woods said with a trademark flashing smile.

"And it's a feeling I've never had before, having Sam and Elin there," he added, referring to his wife and two-month-old daughter Sam Alexis who were waiting for him in the scorer's hut. "This one feels so much more special than the other majors."

Woods was by no means done for the year, though. He went on to win twice more in his next three starts, ending the 2007 PGA Tour with seven victories and record earnings of $10,867,052.

Hardly surprisingly, he was named PGA Player of the Year for the ninth time in 11 seasons.

Fan favourite Ochoa eclipsed Woods with eight victories on the LPGA Tour where she was a full-time competitor for only the fifth consecutive year.

The Guadalajara native set the tone for an unforgettable 2007 when she dethroned Swede Annika Sorenstam as world number one in April.

Ochoa finally made her major breakthrough with a four-shot victory in the Women's British Open at St. Andrews in August, having led from the opening round.