OTHER THAN WHEN WE'RE SITTING HERE, WHEN WE'RE ON OUR BEST, ALMOST LIKE FIRST DATE BEHAVIOR, DO YOU THINK THAT PEOPLE APPRECIATE THAT YOU ARE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON OFF THE GOLF COURSE THAN YOU ARE ON THE GOLF COURSE?
DOTTIE PEPPER
PROBABLY NOT.
PETER KESSLER
WHY DON'T YOU TELL THEM THEN?
DOTTIE PEPPER
(LAUGH) WELL, HOW DO I SAY IT? UM ...
I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, OUR LIFE IS SO BALANCED. UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK ... THEY DON'T SEE MY GARDENING, WHICH UM ...
YOU KNOW, I'VE FINALLY GOTTEN RALPH TO REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE PLANT OUT OF THE LITTLE GREEN PLASTIC BUCKET THAT IT CAME IN FROM THE NURSERY. AND ...
PETER KESSLER
WORKS BETTER THAT WAY.
DOTTIE PEPPER
YEAH, IT WORKS BETTER THAT WAY. BUT HE'S GOTTEN THE HANG OF IT, TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT 400 FLOWERS AND A MOUNTAINOUS SPRING. AND UM, YOU KNOW, I TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN THAT.
20:13:15
AND I ENJOY BEING AROUND THE HOUSE. I REALLY LIKE COOKING. UM, WE'VE GOT A BUDDING WINE COLLECTION THAT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. I'LL GIVE JEFF SLUMAN CREDIT FOR POINTING ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION THERE.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, OUR DOGS TRAVEL WITH US. I THINK WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD HAND ON OUR SPIRITUALITY AND I JUST ...
IT'S KIND OF FUN.
PETER KESSLER
STILL PLAYING THE PIANO?
DOTTIE PEPPER
I DO. IN FACT UM, OUR NIECE WAS DOWN FOR THE ... FOR THE WEEKEND. AND TALK ABOUT, OH MY GOSH, IT WAS LIKE SEEING MYSELF. SHE WOULD NOT QUIT UNTIL SHE GOT IT RIGHT.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, SHE HAD THE WHOLE FIRST RIFF OF IT, YOU KNOW, OVER THE WEEKEND. AND CAN'T READ MUSIC, BUT DID IT ALL BY EAR. IT WAS ... IT WAS BIZARRE, REALLY BIZARRE.
PETER KESSLER
RUNS IN THE FAMILY.
DOTTIE PEPPER
OH, I GUESS.
PETER KESSLER
WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION AND HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW ABOUT THE NEW HALL OF FAME CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY? DID THEY GET IT RIGHT?
DOTTIE PEPPER
OH, I THINK THEY GOT IT RIGHT. I - WE'VE ... I THINK WE'VE FIELDED SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PLAYERS LIKE ANNIKA GETTING IN BEFORE THE 10 YEAR RULE HAS TAKEN EFFECT UH FOR MEMBERSHIP,
PEOPLE SAYING IT MIGHT BE TOO EASY. BUT I THINK WITH ANNIKA AND KARRIE, YOU'RE DEALING WITH 2 EXCEPTIONAL TALENTS AND YOU CAN'T MAKE RULES TO ... TO WORK AGAINST THAT.
YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, LET THEM DO THEIR THING. AND IT SETS A HIGHER STANDARD FOR EVERYBODY ELSE. BUT I THINK THE GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS FINALLY WE HAVE A CONCRETE NUMBER.
YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET IN, WHERE FOR 3 OR 4 YEARS, WE KNEW THAT THERE WERE CHANGES THAT WERE HAPPENING, BUT WE WEREN'T QUITE SURE WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE.
UM, HAVING A CONCRETE NUMBER OF ... OF 10 AT THE BEGINNING OF LAST YEAR AND ... AND NOW IT'S DOWN TO 7 ... I MEAN, IT FEELS LIKE IT'S REACHABLE. I KNOW IT'S ... IT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT'S NOT GETTING ANY EASIER TO WIN OUT THERE.
BUT MY ENTHUSIASM IS ... IS GREATER THAN IT'S EVER BEEN. AND I ... I CAN'T WAIT TO GET - I MEAN, YOU KNOW, BARRING SOMETHING WEIRD ...
PETER KESSLER
HURRY UP AND HEAL?
DOTTIE PEPPER
YEAH, HURRY UP AND HEAL. BUT IT'S DOING GREAT. AND I'M SEEING GREAT PROGRESS OVER THE LAST 72 HOURS AND BACK HITTING BALLS YESTERDAY. SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'LL BE 6 BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
PETER KESSLER
WELL, SINCE WE KNOW THERE'S 7 POINTS TO GO, WHEN YOU HIT THAT 7TH POINT, WILL YOU THEN BE ON A HORSE RIDING INTO THE SUNSET WAVING GOODBYE TO US?
DOTTIE PEPPER
UM ... SCALED BACK, I THINK. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT I'VE KIND OF BUILT MY ENTIRE CAREER AROUND. I WENT... I REMEMBER SAYING TO MY FAMILY, 'YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO, IS GET IN THE HALL OF FAME', EARLY, EARLY ON.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO GO OUT AND PLAY 20, 25 TOURNAMENTS A YEAR WITH THE SAME INTENSITY KNOWING THAT MAYBE THAT GOAL ISN'T RIGHT OUT THERE ANYMORE.
I THINK IT'S A LOT LIKE THE WAY PAT BRADLEY IS NOW. UM, YOU KNOW, SHE PUT SO MUCH INTO GETTING INTO THE HALL OF FAME. IT'S LIKE WHAT DO YOU DO NOW? AND ...
PETER KESSLER
YOU LIGHTEN UP.
DOTTIE PEPPER
I'D LIKE TO PICK AND CHOOSE WHICH TOURNAMENTS I'D LIKE TO PLAY AND REALLY ENJOY THE HECK OUT OF THEM AND ... AND HAVE THE OTHER LIFE BE UM, A LITTLE MORE PROMINENT PROBABLY.
PETER KESSLER
ANY SENSE OF URGENCY OR DO YOU FEEL LIKE 'I'M IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE HERE AND THIS IS DOABLE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS'?
DOTTIE PEPPER
WELL, I TALKED TO BOB ROTELLA ABOUT THAT BECAUSE YOU GO THROUGH BOTH SIDES OF IT. YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE PLAYING SO WELL THAT YOU KNOW THAT IT CAN HAPPEN LIKE JULIE DID.
FROM ... LITERALLY FROM ST. PATRICK'S DAY TO LABOR DAY, SHE GOT HER POINTS.
PETER KESSLER
HALL OF FAME YEAR.
DOTTIE PEPPER
RIGHT. AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW IT'S TAKEN YOU THIS LONG TO ACCUMULATE THE POINTS THAT YOU HAVE AND HOW HARD YOU'VE HAD TO WORK FOR IT. BUT WHY NOT ENJOY IT, TAKE IT AS A CHALLENGE AND ENJOY IT INSTEAD OF BEGRUDGINGLY SAYING,
'OH, I HAVE 7 POINTS, 7 POINTS, THAT SEEMS LIKE AN AWFUL LOT.' BUT IN REALITY IT'S ... IT'S REALLY JUST A HOT STREAK.
PETER KESSLER
OTHER THAN NOT GETTING IN THE HALL YET, WHICH IS SOMETHING YOU'RE WORKING TOWARDS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR CAREER, 16 WINS, 2 MAJORS, YOU'VE BEEN ON EVERY SOLHEIM CUP TEAM, YOU'RE GOING TO BE ON THE NEXT ONE,
THAT'S GONNA BE 6 IN A ROW, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN THAT YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE ACHIEVED?
DOTTIE PEPPER
UH, I THINK ...
I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE WON AN OPEN BY NOW BECAUSE I ... I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WAS THE ULTIMATE TEST, AND - AND STILL DO.
UM, I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE BEEN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR, BUT THAT DOESN'T GET YOU ANY HALL OF FAME POINTS ANYWAY SO IT'S (LAUGH) ... IT'S A MUTE POINT THERE.
AND THAT WAS 13 YEARS AGO SO ... I PLAYED WELL, BUT I HAD A ... I HAD A ROOKIE CLASS THAT WAS AMAZING, PROBABLY THE BEST THAT'S EVER COME OUT ON THE LPGA TOUR. AND I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE STATS, UM ...
IT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
PETER KESSLER
WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION, AS JULIE'S FRIEND, TO HER HALL OF FAME YEAR?
DOTTIE PEPPER
OH, IT WAS ... IT WAS A BLAST TO WATCH, A LOT OF TEARS SHED UM ... I CHASED HER DOWN ON MY CELL PHONE. AFTER SHE HOLED OUT, IN PORTLAND, I CALLED THE MEDIA ROOM EVERY HOLE FROM 12 IN, I THINK.
AND YOU KNOW, IT WAS RYDER CUP WEEKEND SO I'VE GOT HER ON THE CELL PHONE AND - AND THE RYDER CUP ON THE TELEVISION. AND I WAS - I WAS VERY TORN TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. AND UM,
YEAH, IT WAS JUST GREAT.
PETER KESSLER
WHEN YOU SEE ANOTHER NETWORK OR ANOTHER CABLE NETWORK AIR SOMETHING PARTICULARLY NEGATIVE ABOUT YOUR TOUR, FOR EXAMPLE, A FEW YEARS AGO ON REAL SPORTS ON HBO SPORTS,
THERE WAS A REPORT DONE, IT WAS ALMOST 5 YEARS AGO, WHERE THE REPORTER STOOD OUTSIDE OF AUGUSTA NATIONAL, UH, SAYING NASTY THINGS ABOUT AUGUSTA NATIONAL,
HOPING THAT THEY WOULD LET HIM ONTO THE PROPERTY TO SAY NASTY THINGS ABOUT AUGUSTA NATIONAL. NOW THERE'S A RECENT REPORT ON REAL SPORTS PICKING THE MOST SENSITIVE SIDE OF THE LPGA TOUR AND TALKING ABOUT LESBIAN RELATIONSHIPS ...
DOTTIE PEPPER
UH-HUH.
PETER KESSLER
AS THE FOCAL POINT OF THE PIECE. WHAT IS YOUR AND YOUR PEERS' REACTION ON TOUR TO THAT KIND OF REPORTING?
DOTTIE PEPPER
WELL, MY REACTION, IT WAS ... IT WAS A REALLY CRUDDY PIECE. AND I DIDN'T SEE IT, BUT I'VE HEARD ALL THE REACTION AND I DID SEE WHAT WAS POSTED ON THE WEB SITE AS FAR AS RESPONSES TO THE PIECE ITSELF.
UM, RMA (???) CONTAINS WORK AND THE PRESENTATION BY BRYANT GUMBEL. UM, IT WAS A 12 TO 1 MARGIN THAT PEOPLE THOUGHT THE LPGA JUST GOT HACKED ON THIS.
AND I AGREE. I MEAN, THERE'S SO MUCH POSITIVE GOING ON WITH THE TOUR THAT TO FOCUS ON SUCH A SMALL, SMALL PORTION OF WHAT REALLY MATTERS, I THINK IS JUST A TRAVESTY.
PETER KESSLER
DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE LPGA GETS FAIR MEDIA COVERAGE GENERALLY SPEAKING THOUGH?
DOTTIE PEPPER
I THINK IT'S GETTING BETTER. I THINK WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF GETTING OUR MESSAGE OUT AS TO, YOU KNOW, THE STORIES THAT ARE OUT THERE, JUST HOW GOOD THESE PLAYERS ARE.
YOU KNOW, THE QUALITY HAS ... HAS INCREASED SO TREMENDOUSLY SINCE I CAME ON TOUR IN '88. UM, THERE'S JUST, HANDS DOWN, THE TOP ... TOP-30 PLAYERS ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAN THEY WERE IN '88.
IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE. AND WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF GETTING THAT MESSAGE OUT.
PETER KESSLER
AS WE GO TO A SHORT BREAK, WE'LL SEE A SHOT WHERE YOU DIDN'T REQUIRE ANY PUTTING FROM LAST YEAR'S AT THE TIME NABISCO DINAH SHORE.
AND LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
THIS HAS TO BE FUN ON YOUR WAY TO WINNING A MAJOR.
DOTTIE PEPPER
BOY, THIS MAKES THE 18TH HOLE SO MUCH MORE FUN ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON. (LAUGH)
PETER KESSLER
WELL, WHY DON'T WE SEE WHAT HAPPENED ON THE ...
DOTTIE PEPPER
AND THAT WAS SATURDAY.
PETER KESSLER
AND THEN HERE IS SUNDAY. LET'S TAKE A LOOK. YOU'LL SEE IN JUST A MOMENT ...
YOU CAN'T DECIDE WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO.
DOTTIE PEPPER
WELL, THIS WAS ... OH I, I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON BECAUSE I TOLD ...
PETER KESSLER
YOU'RE - YOU'RE HOLDING ... YOU DON'T KNOW IF YOU SHOULD YOUR NOSE AT THIS POINT. ARE YOU GOING TO DIVE? (LAUGH)
DOTTIE PEPPER
I TOLD DAN ON 17 I WASN'T GOING IN ALONE. (LAUGH)
PETER KESSLER
AND YOU DIDN'T. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER WE PULL HER OUT OF THE LAKE. DON'T GO AWAY.
(BREAK)
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