NOW HERE'S THE QUESTION THAT WE PICKED FOR YOU TONIGHT, JAN. AND IT IS:
IN AMERICA, PEOPLE FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT GREG NORMAN, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. HOW IS HE PERCEIVED BY THE FANS AND MEDIA IN AUSTRALIA? THANK YOU FRED LENNOX.
JAN STEPHENSON
WELL, IT'S EVEN MORE EXAGGERATED IN AUSTRALIA BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE - THE PRESS IN AUSTRALIA LIKE READING NATIONAL ENQUIRER EVERYDAY. UH, TABLOIDS ARE BRUTAL.
AND SO IN - IF YOU'RE IN AUSTRALIA, YOU EITHER HATE OR YOU LOVE HIM BECAUSE HE - HE ARRIVES IN A BIG FANCY JET. AND HE HAS A 5 MILLION DOLLAR BOAT. AND HE HAS HELICOPTERS.
AND YOU EITHER RESENT IT OR YOU LOVE THE FLAMBOYANCE.
PETER KESSLER
WHAT'S THE REACTION TO KARRIE IN AUSTRALIA?
JAN STEPHENSON
KARRIE'S VERY WELL RECEIVED. UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE OF HER PERSONALITY. AGAIN, IT'S THE SAME - THE BASICALLY THE SAME THINGS AS OVER HERE.
IT - I THINK THAT THEY WILL LEARN - THEY'LL LEARN TO KNOW KARRIE. UM, I - I KNOW THAT THEY'RE REALLY PROUD OF HOW WELL SHE'S DONE.
PETER KESSLER
LET'S TALK TO MICHAEL IN ALBERTA. GO AHEAD MICHAEL.
MICHAEL FROM ALBERTA
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING MY CALL. I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU JAN. IF YOU WERE TO GIVE SOME ADVICE UM, TO A PARENT OF A YOUNG JUNIOR GOLFER THAT WOULD BE A FEMALE,
WHAT WOULD THAT ADVICE BE? IT SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE A REAL INTEREST WITH JUNIOR GOLF. AND MYSELF, I'VE PLAYED GOLF ALL MY LIFE AND I HAVE AN INTEREST WITH JUNIOR GOLF AS WELL.
I'VE GOT A - 2 COUPLE YOUNG NIECES THAT ARE - ARE JUST LEARNING TO PLAY. BUT I DON'T WANT TO PRESSURE THEM INTO PLAYING. AND WHAT WOULD YOU SAY FOR ADVICE FOR THAT SITUATION?
JAN STEPHENSON
THAT'S A GOOD ONE. YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE IT FUN. I MEAN, I LOVED TO PLAY GOLF WITH MY DAD. I - I JUST . WE - IT WAS MEANT TO BE REALLY A FAMILY THING. I MEAN, MY FATHER, MY MOTHER AND MY BROTHER, WE ALL PLAYED GOLF TOGETHER.
AND SO, WE HAD A LITTLE WEEKEND GAME EVERY WEEKEND. AND WE COULDN'T WAIT TO GO PLAY, AND IT WAS REALLY FUN. SO MAKING IT A FAMILY GAME IS DEFINITELY IMPORTANT.
PETER KESSLER
WHAT WAS IT ABOUT YOUR DAD THAT MADE HIM SO SPECIAL THAT MAKES IT SO TOUGH TO LET GO?
JAN STEPHENSON
HE WAS SO SOFT. HE WAS . HE - HE REALLY WAS LIKE SO SWEET. I MEAN, HE - HE WAS NOT LIKE - ALMOST NOT A MAN, YOU KNOW, NOT THE MAN THAT YOU THINK OF. I MEAN, HE WAS VERY SENSITIVE. AND - AND UH,
AND HE REALLY TRIED TO TEACH ME HOW - WHAT - HOW WONDERFUL SPORTS WERE. AND HE - HE TRULY LOVED SPORTS. I MEAN, WE DID NOTHING BUT WATCH SPORTS FROM THE MOMENT I WAS YOUNG.
I MEAN, I PLAYED CRICKET WITH HIM, AND HE PLAYED RUGBY. AND - AND OF COURSE, WE SWAM TOGETHER AND PLAYED GOLF AND PLAYED TENNIS. I MEAN, HE WAS A GREAT ATHLETE. AND UH,
HE WASN'T A VERY BIG MAN PHYSICALLY. AND SO HE - HE WAS ALWAYS AT A DISADVANTAGE. AND - AND UM, I KNOW I COULD BEAT HIM PHYSICALLY EVEN WHEN WE PLAYED RACQUETBALL.
BUT HE WOULD LIKE OUTSMART ME. AND SO HE WAS LIKE, 'THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING ELSE.' SO HE WAS REALLY SWEET. HE WAS VERY MUCH - TAUGHT ME THE MENTAL SIDE OF THE GAME.
PETER KESSLER
WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE RELATIONSHIP YOU HAD WITH YOUR DAD IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP YOU EVER HAD WITH A MAN?
JAN STEPHENSON
OH, WITHOUT QUESTION. THAT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE. (LAUGH)
I THINK IT'S BECAUSE OF HIM THAT UM, THAT I HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE WITH - WITH MEN, I MEAN, HAVING A GOOD RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE HE WAS SO HARD TO LIVE UP TO.
AND THEN UM, WHEN HE DIED, MY MARRIAGE FELL APART TOTALLY AND I HAD TO GO HAVE HELP. AND THEY KEPT SAYING, 'WELL, IT'S BECAUSE YOUR FATHER, HE ABSOLUTELY TOOK CARE OF ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT YOUR HUSBAND DIDN'T TAKE CARE OF.'
AND SO YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM BEING MARRIED BECAUSE I WAS NEVER HOME. I WAS ALWAYS WITH MY DAD. BUT UM, HE --HE WAS FABULOUS. AND IT REALLY MADE IT TOUGH FOR ME TO FIND SOMEONE THAT'S SIMILAR.
PETER KESSLER
WHEN HE TOLD YOU THAT YOU WERE HIS DREAM DAUGHTER, DO YOU THINK HE MEANT IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND ACCOMPLISHED AND BECAME
OR BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIP THAT THE TWO OF YOU HAD THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH WHO YOU WERE IN THE WORLD?
JAN STEPHENSON
OH, HE LOVED ME NO MATTER WHAT. BUT I KNOW WHEN HE WAS UM . HE KNEW - HE REALLY TRULY KNEW ME. AND I KNOW THAT WHEN UM, HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL AND HE WAS DYING, AND HE KEPT SAYING TO THE DOCTORS,
'IF - IF MY DAUGHTER WAS HERE, THIS WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.' AND SO, HE COULDN'T - WHEN I GOT THERE AND I SAID, 'NOW THIS IS WRONG. THIS IS WRONG. YOU SHOULD BE DOING THIS.'
I - AND I HIRED A MAN TO TAKE HIM . HE HAD TO GO HAVE CHEMO (CHEMOTHERAPY) OVER IN AUSTRALIA. SO YOU HAVE UNDERSTAND ALL THESE SITUATIONS, AND - AND WE HAD TO GO OUTSIDE IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER TO HAVE - FOR HIM TO HAVE HIS CHEMO.
SO I HIRED A MAN THAT WOULD TAKE HIM IN THE WHEELCHAIR. AND HE SAYS, 'SEE, I TOLD YOU, MY DAUGHTER IS INCREDIBLE. SHE CAN JUST HAVE - MAKE EVERYTHING WORK.' AND SO, I THINK IT WAS JUST THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAD.
PETER KESSLER
NOW THEY, YOUR FAMILY, KEPT HIS SICKNESS FROM YOU FOR A LONG TIME, DIDN'T THEY?
JAN STEPHENSON
YEAH.
PETER KESSLER
IF YOU COULD HAVE CHANGED THAT AND KNOWN RIGHT AWAY, WOULD YOU HAVE GIVEN UP THE TOUR FOR THE TIME AND JUST GONE HOME AND BE WITH HIM?
JAN STEPHENSON
I TRIED TO WHEN I FINALLY FOUND OUT, AND HE WOULDN'T HAVE IT. IN FACT, THE - THE WEEK HE DIED, I WAS - I WAS THERE ABOUT 3 WEEKS BEFORE, AND UM, HE SAID, 'I WANT YOU TO GO BACK AND PLAY'
`CAUSE WE WERE PLAYING - AT THAT TIME, WE HAD UH SENIORS LPGA MATCHES WHICH WERE FOR THE TOP-10 PEOPLE. AND I WAS PLAYING WITH CHI-CHI IN PUERTO RICO.
I SAID, 'THERE'S NO WAY I'M GONNA LEAVE YOU.' AND HE SAYS, 'NO, NO. I'M GONNA VISIT YOU IN JANUARY SO I WANT YOU TO GO PLAY.' SO WHEN I TALKED TO HIM ON TUESDAY BEFORE I LEFT FOR PUERTO RICO,
HE SAID, 'NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, YOU MUST FINISH THIS TOURNAMENT.' AND HE DIED HALFWAY THROUGH THE TOURNAMENT. AND - AND HE HAD MADE ME PROMISE I'D FINISH THE TOURNAMENT.
WE FINISHED SECOND AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I DID IT. BUT THAT WAS SO TYPICAL OF HIM.
PETER KESSLER
GIVEN THE UNUSUAL NATURE OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP, HOW DID YOUR MOM HANDLE IT? WAS SHE JEALOUS? DID SHE UNDERSTAND? WAS SHE SUPPORTIVE?
JAN STEPHENSON
OH, MY MOTHER'S ALWAYS BEEN INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE BECAUSE SHE JUST UNDERSTOOD WE WERE A TEAM. I MEAN, WE . EVEN THOUGH I TALK MY MOTHER - MY FATHER, MY MOTHER WAS ALWAYS PART OF IT.
I MEAN, WHEN WE TRAVELED, MY FATHER WOULD TAKE 6 MONTHS LONG SERVICE LEAVE, `CAUSE HE WORKED FOR THE GOVERNMENT IN AUSTRALIA, AND EVERY - EVERY 6 MONTHS BOTH OF THEM WOULD PACK UP EVERYTHING FOR 6 MONTHS AND DRIVE THE CAR.
MY DAD WOULD CADDIE. MY MOTHER DID MY LAUNDRY. SHE - I WAS REALLY INTO BEING A VEGETARIAN AND BEING HEALTHY. SO UH, SHE WOULD FIX ALL MY MEALS IN MY ROOM AND THEN THEY WOULD GO OUT TO EAT.
AND FOR BREAKFAST, THEY'D - THEY'D BOTH BRING MY BREAKFAST IN AND I'D EAT. I MEAN, I WAS LIKE . I WAS IN HEAVEN `CAUSE I HAD IT MADE.
AND THEN AS SOON AS WE GOT DONE PRACTICING, MY PARENTS WOULD TAKE ME TO THE GYM. AND THEN THEY'D GO EAT DINNER AND DO MY LAUNDRY AND COME BACK AND PICK ME UP. I MEAN, IT WAS JUST TRULY A TEAM THING.
PETER KESSLER
HOW DISAPPOINTED ARE YOU, AS YOU LOOK AT IT NOW, THAT YOU DIDN'T TRY TO DO THE SAME THING, OR DIDN'T DO THE SAME THING, THAT YOU DIDN'T BUILD A FAMILY AND HAVE KIDS AND - AND BE THE MOM AND DAD THAT YOUR PARENTS WERE?
JAN STEPHENSON
WELL, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE CHILDREN. UH, I'VE - I'VE ACTUALLY HAD 3 MISCARRIAGES AND FINALLY COULDN'T HAVE CHILDREN ANY MORE. SO THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I STARTED THE 'JAN FOR JUNIORS', THE JUNIOR GOLF PROGRAM
WHERE I DONATE A LOT OF MY TIME AND MY MONEY. UM, AND ANY . THE - THE SPONSORS I HAVE, IF THEY WANT ME TO DO STUFF, I HAVE - I MAKE THEM PUT MONEY IN.
AND I HAVE THESE LITTLE JUNIOR GOLF CAMPS. AND IT'S BEEN ACTUALLY PRETTY FUN FOR ME BECAUSE UH, I HAVEN'T BEEN AROUND A LOT OF 14 TO 16 YEAR OLDS. AND EVERY TIME IT'S MY TURN TO TAKE CARE OF THAT AGE GROUP,
THEY - THEY ALWAYS RUN ALL OVER ME. I MEAN, THE LAST TIME I HAD THEM ON THE DRIVING RANGE IT WAS PRETTY BAD BECAUSE UH, THEY - THEY SAID, 'WELL, WE - CAN WE DRIVE THE GOLF CART AND PICK UP THE GOLF BALLS?'
AND I WASN'T THINKING, I'M LIKE, 'YEAH SURE.' SO NEXT THING, I LOOK DOWN, THEY'RE ALL ON THE PICKER UP - THE GOLF BALL PICKER UPPERS. AND EVERYBODY'S SCREAMING AT ME.
AND IT WAS LIKE, 'WELL, THEY JUST ASKED ME.' AND SO, IT WAS - I HAVE NO CONTROL OF THEM BUT IT WAS PRETTY FUN FOR ME.
PETER KESSLER
EVERYBODY'S THINKING 2 THINGS, ONE, YOU'RE A PUSHOVER, AND TWO, THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THAT JOB WHERE YOU WORK 6 MONTHS AND THEY TAKE 6 MONTHS OFF AFTER.
EVERYBODY'S READY TO SIGN UP FOR THAT. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
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