AND HERE'S THE QUESTION THAT WAS POSTED TO OUR WEB SITE FOR YOU TONIGHT, DOTTIE. AND IT IS: 'ARE YOU HAPPY IN YOUR NEW MARRIAGE TO RALPH AND HOW HAS IT CHANGED YOUR LIFE?' DEBRA WANTS TO KNOW.
DOTTIE PEPPER
OH WELL, CERTAINLY YES TO THE FIRST QUESTION. AND TO PART B, OH GOSH UM ...
IT'S JUST ... IT'S MADE LIFE FUN. I'VE ... YOU KNOW, I'M MARRIED TO MY BEST FRIEND.
PETER KESSLER
THAT'S A LOT.
DOTTIE PEPPER
AND WE HAVE SO MUCH IN COMMON AND ENJOY, YOU KNOW, JUST ... JUST BEING HOME AND BEING QUOTE-UNQUOTE NORMAL, IF THERE'S A DEFINITION FOR THAT. YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO TAKE A NORMAL LIFE ON THE ROAD WITH 2 ANIMALS THAT WE'RE EXTREMELY ATTACHED TO ...
AND ... YOU KNOW, JUST - JUST TAKE A NORMAL LIFE ON THE ROAD HAS MADE ... MADE TRAVELING, WHICH IS THE HARDEST PART OF THIS JOB WITHOUT A DOUBT IN MY MIND, UM, IT'S JUST MADE IT A LOT MORE FUN.
PETER KESSLER
WHEN YOU WERE HERE, WE FIGURED IT WAS AT LEAST 3 YEARS AGO AND MAY BE 4, FUN WAS NOT A WORD THAT YOU WOULD HAVE GIVEN ME IN YOUR ANSWER AT THAT TIME. YOU WERE ...
DOTTIE PEPPER
PROBABLY NOT.
PETER KESSLER
YOU WERE STILL LOOKING FOR HOW TO HAVE FUN WITH THE BEST FRIEND.
DOTTIE PEPPER
RIGHT, ABSOLUTELY. AND UM ... YOU KNOW, I'VE ... I'VE BEEN VERY BLESSED. IT'S ... IT'S GREAT.
PETER KESSLER
LET'S TAKE A QUESTION FROM MARY ELLEN WHO WANTS TO ASK YOU, I THINK, A TERRIFIC ONE. GO AHEAD, MARY.
MARY ELLEN, CALLER FROM MICHIGAN (FEMALE):
HI DOTTIE. HOW ARE YOU?
DOTTIE PEPPER
GOOD. HOW ARE YOU?
MARY ELLEN, CALLER FROM MICHIGAN (FEMALE):
GOOD. HEY, I THINK IT'S KIND OF IRONIC THEY SHOWED THAT UH LAST PUTT AT THE OLDS CLASSIC CAUSE MY HUSBAND'S STILL, YOU KNOW, RECOVERING FROM THAT BRUISE I GAVE HIM WHEN I HIT HIM CAUSE I COULDN'T COME AND SEE YOU.
(PETER AND DOTTIE LAUGH)
DOTTIE PEPPER
HE'S PROBABLY NOT THE ONLY ONE.
MARY ELLEN, CALLER FROM MICHIGAN (FEMALE):
(LAUGH) WELL, I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU UH, THANK YOU FOR UH SENDING THE MESSAGE BACK AFTER I SENT YOU THE NOTE. SO ...
DOTTIE PEPPER
OH WELL, MY PLEASURE. I ... I ENJOY DOING THE FAN MAIL THING. BUT I'VE ALSO DEVELOPED A LOT OF GREAT RELATIONSHIPS OUT OF THAT. AND UM, IT'S BEEN - IT'S BEEN THAT QUOTE OF - THAT WORD AGAIN, FUN FOR ME, BECAUSE I ...
I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF UM ... A LOT OF GOOD FEEDBACK FROM STUFF LIKE THAT.
MARY ELLEN, CALLER FROM MICHIGAN (FEMALE):
YEAH, WELL UH, MY WHOLE FAMILY'S ROOTING FOR YOU. YOU'RE - YOU'RE PLEASANTLY KNOWN AS 'DOTTIE PEPPERONI' IN MY HOUSE SO ...
DOTTIE PEPPER
WELL, THANK YOU.
MARY ELLEN, CALLER FROM MICHIGAN (FEMALE):
MY 3 YEAR OLD, THAT'S WHAT HE CALLS YOU, 'DOTTIE PEPPERONI'.
DOTTIE PEPPER
BEING MARRIED TO AN ITALIAN, I'M SURE RALPH CAN APPRECIATE THAT TOO. (LAUGH)
MARY ELLEN, CALLER FROM MICHIGAN (FEMALE):
ANYWAY UM, WHEN YOU DO COME BACK TO DEFEND AT OLDS, WHICH YOU ARE, RIGHT?
DOTTIE PEPPER
ABSOLUTELY.
MARY ELLEN, CALLER FROM MICHIGAN (FEMALE):
OKAY. ARE YOU GONNA BRING YOUR DAD IN TO COME AND TAKE PART (???)?
DOTTIE PEPPER
WELL, I'D LIKE TO. UM, YOU KNOW, I'M ... I THINK I'M ONE OF THE FEW TOUR PLAYERS - AND I WOULDN'T SAY FEW, BUT PLAYERS OF MY GENERATION THAT STILL HAS THEIR DAD WORKING. SO I GUESS HE'LL HAVE TO ASK FOR A HALL PASS, BUT WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
PETER KESSLER
WHEN YOU SPENT TIME WITH JACK NICKLAUS YEARS AGO,
DOTTIE PEPPER
UH-HUH.
PETER KESSLER
JUST THE TWO OF YOU PLAYING A ROUND OF GOLF, AND HE SAID TO YOU ABOUT YOUR GOLF SWING: 'JUST KEEP IT STRAIGHT LINES. KEEP IT SIMPLE.' WHAT'D YOU THINK HE MEANT BY THAT AND DID YOU ACT ON THE ADVICE?
DOTTIE PEPPER
UM, I DID. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS I SPECIFICALLY TOOK FROM MY TIME WITH HIM THAT UM HAVE HELPED ME A LOT. I CONSIDER MYSELF A PRETTY GOOD FAIRWAY BUNKER PLAYER, WHICH I CONSIDER NICKLAUS THE BEST.
AND I PICKED HIS BRAIN ABOUT THAT. AND THAT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS ABOUT PICKING LINES. AND THIS LINE HAPPENED TO BE A LITTLE OPEN TO BECOME ... I THINK WOULD'VE ...
I MEAN, I THINK I'M PRETTY ADEQUATE FROM THERE. AND LIKE I SAID, I THINK HE'S THE BEST SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE KEY THINGS I ALSO - I PICKED UP.
SECONDLY WAS HE AND HIS FAMILY HAD JUST COME BACK FROM A TRIP TO THE BAHAMAS. AND THEY BROUGHT BACK A BUNCH OF SUSHI ... OH MY GOSH, GOT HOOKED. (LAUGH)
SO THAT WAS SECOND. BUT YOU KNOW, BEING DOWN IN JUPITER UM, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE AROUND JACK AND GARY AND ... AND THE FAMILY AND ...
IT'S ... IT'S BEEN A GREAT MOVE FOR US, BEING IN THAT AREA. AND WE STILL LOVE OUR SUMMERS IN SOUTH CAROLINA, BUT FLORIDA HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD MOVE FOR US BECAUSE IT ENABLES ME TO BE IN A REALLY COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT 12 MONTHS A YEAR AND SOME PLACE WHERE I WANT TO GO PRACTICE.
PETER KESSLER
THE TEAM FOR THE SOLHEIM CUP IS TAKING SHAPE. LET'S TAKE A LOOK ON - AT HOW IT STANDS CURRENTLY.
DOTTIE PEPPER
IT IS.
(GRAPHIC SHOWN, TITLE BLOCKED BY TIME CODE:
?? SOLHEIM CUP
?? STANDINGS
POINTS
1. JULI INKSTER 362.30
2. DOTTIE PEPPER 171.52
3. MEG MALLON 151.69
4. SHERRI STEINHAUER 146.96
5. KELLY ROBBINS 134.96
6. ROSIE JONES 96.30 )
PETER KESSLER
AND YOU'RE IN REASONABLY SECURE SHAPE. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR - OF THE WAY THE TEAM IS SHAPING UP IN TERMS OF THE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER VICTORY?
DOTTIE PEPPER
I ... I THINK IT'S GREAT. YOU SEE EVERY PLAYER ON THERE HAS AT LEAST 2 YEARS EXPERIENCE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN UM ... WITH - YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT, AT LEAST 2 YEARS EXPERIENCE. AND THAT'S THE KEY.
SOLHEIM CUP
STANDINGS
POINTS
7. NANCY SCRANTON 77.40
8. TINA BARRETT 74.07
9. BRANDIE BURTON 69.20
10. MICHELE REDMAN 68.96
11. BECKY IVERSON 66.50
12. KELLI KUEHNE 65.50 )
UM, THE ONE I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS THE PLAYER AT NUMBER 9. AFTER COMING BACK WITH NO PLAY AT ALL IN 1999, SHE'S ALREADY MOVED HERSELF TO 9TH IN THE POINT STANDING. AND SHE'S ANOTHER KEY, KEY ELEMENT OF THAT TEAM.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A MIX OF PLAYERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCE AND ONES THAT ARE GONNA BE ROOKIES BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS HAD THAT GREAT BLEND. AND I THINK ...
I DON'T THINK - WHOEVER'S ON THAT TEAM, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN GO WRONG.
PETER KESSLER
AND - AND BRANDIE'S PRETTY FEISTY LIKE YOU ARE.
DOTTIE PEPPER
MY PARTNER ... (CHUCKLE)
PETER KESSLER
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF PAT BRADLEY AS YOUR CAPTAIN AND LOCH LOMOND, WHERE YOU'RE GONNA PLAY, IN SCOTLAND?
DOTTIE PEPPER
I'VE NOT BEEN TO LOCH LOMOND, BUT PAT HAS KEPT US VERY ABREAST OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND HER IMPRESSIONS OF BEING OVER THERE TWICE NOW PLAYING THE GOLF COURSE, UM, WHAT WE CAN EXPECT WEATHER-WISE,
WHICH IS PROBABLY NOT VERY GOOD. AND SHE'S JUST EXTREMELY ORGANIZED. SHE IS SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. AND I THINK HER TEAM IS TAKING SHAPE THE WAY SHE HAD REALLY ENVISIONED IT. AND I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT WEEK.
PETER KESSLER
YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN COMFORTABLE BEING WITH YOU AND NOT NECESSARILY NEEDING LOTS OF OTHER PEOPLE AROUND. THE ...
DOTTIE PEPPER
YEAH.
PETER KESSLER
YOUR ABILITY TO ... DO YOU STILL FIND YOURSELF AS FASCINATING COMPANY AS YOU ALWAYS HAVE?
DOTTIE PEPPER
SOMETIMES I AMAZE MYSELF. (CHUCKLE)
PETER KESSLER
IN WHAT WAY?
DOTTIE PEPPER
I UM ... YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD THINK THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE ROAD ALL THE TIME WOULD JUST DO THAT ALL THE TIME. THEY'D BE OUT IN PUBLIC, THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO FEED OFF THAT, THEY NEED THAT SORT OF SUPPORT OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT.
I'M EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE. I LIKE TO BE EXTREMELY AWAY FROM IT. UM, BOTH COMMUNITIES WE LIVE IN ARE VERY SMALL AND VERY PRIVATE. AND THAT'S WHERE I'M ... I'M AT MY MOST COMFORTABLE AND JUST PRETTY SIMPLE.
PETER KESSLER
WHEN THEY CALL YOU MRS. SCARINZI WHEN YOU GO INTO THE STORE, THEN YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN GOOD SHAPE, RIGHT?
DOTTIE PEPPER
EXACTLY. (LAUGH)
PETER KESSLER
WE'LL TAKE A VERY SHORT BREAK AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF YOUR PEERS ON TOUR WHEN WE RETURN. DON'T GO AWAY.
(DOTTIE ON THE COVER OF GOLF WORLD MAGAZINE SHOWN WITH TITLE 'HEART AND SOLHEIM')
(BREAK)
NEXT SEGMENT