U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 20, 1994

Betsy King

LES UNGER: Betsy, thanks for coming in and braving the weather. We were shy some writers; not as brave, I'm afraid. You've had a chance to play the course. Perhaps you can give us a little comparison as a starter; what you see out there now versus in the past?

BETSY KING: I think the course is basically the same. It is in great shape. I think it is probably a little bit lusher than it was five years ago, but that is probably a condition on the weather. I think it is in excellent shape. They have moved the tees back. I realize they had done it on number 4. I just read in the paper that it was on 16 as well. I didn't even notice that when I played, but -- so definitely it makes a difference on 4; whereas, before it was a lay-up shot off the tee and a very short iron in. Now you have a blind shot into the green. But I imagine that when the tournament rolls around, the course will play about the same.

LES UNGER: How about the status of your game right now?

BETSY KING: I feel I am playing well. I started out the year, I wasn't hitting the ball as well. I think the last, I'd say, two months, I have hit the ball well and just haven't put four rounds together, but I definitely feel that if I can just remain patient enough, I think the time will come.

LES UNGER: Questions.

Q. How much do you remember of your first Women's Open here?

BETSY KING: I don't know. Not a whole lot. I remember coming down 18, I guess, the way this golf course was, I felt that until you finally got the last drive in play that there was still a chance for disaster, and I think when I hit the last drive in the fairway, I felt that I had won the event. So that made it nice coming down 18; aren't too many opportunities that, you know, you have won before you get to the 18th green. Other than that, I don't remember a whole lot.

Q. Does playing again at a site where you have done well improve your psychological outlook for this week?

BETSY KING: I think the only advantage is that you do have a few good memories of the past. Obviously, that happens on tour quite a bit when we go back to the same site. But other than that, I don't think it is really that much of an advantage. It is interesting. I have played in the Open since 1975 and this is the first time that we have had a repeat golf course. I think the men do that more where they kind of go back to the same courses over and over, and we just seem to switch a lot and so this is unusual for us to come back to the site again.

Q. The course being soft, is this going to favor a longer hitter even more than usual?

BETSY KING: The course is soft. I don't know if it necessarily -- obviously the Open is going to separate the field. You are not going to get somebody that just hits it down the middle. It always takes some length. Perhaps, with it being wet, it will play a little bit longer. But, you know, there is always a premium on keeping it in play as well, but you know, this is -- you come to an Open and there is probably a third of the field that really doesn't have a chance to win in terms of -- I have been on that side too. I have played as an amateur, and going into the tournament I wasn't looking to win the event. But I don't think there will be any fluke winners here. It will be a player that has had a lot of experience and obviously can hit the ball well. If you can hit the ball high, that is always an advantage in the Open. Although, if it keeps raining, that takes that advantage away a little bit.

Q. Betsy, who would you include among those names that can win here, and would you put yourself high on that list?

BETSY KING: Well, I mean, from my standpoint, I feel I can win every week, but I am sure all the players that do have experienced some success. Obviously Laura is playing well and Beth Daniel is playing very well too. I would say Laura and Beth and Donna Andrews have been the players that have done the best on our tour this year. And beyond that, you know, there are a lot of other names that are capable of winning. I feel when we tee it up now, I'd say there is probably 75 players that can win each week and although here maybe that number is reduced a little bit because of the toughness of the golf course, but it is interesting for me to see the change in women's golf; in my mind, the biggest change has just been the power that has come into the game. The younger players are stronger and physically bigger. I have said this before, when I came on tour Sandra Palmer was winning and Judy Rankin and people that were very small physically and now the players that are doing well are tall, stronger; can hit the ball further without much effort, seemingly, and so I think that has been the biggest change.

Q. You are saying it is harder for you to win now than it was four years ago?

BETSY KING: Definitely, it is harder to win. I think we are playing the best golf that we have ever played on the tour.

Q. How would you rank Laura and Beth right now as far as a -- can you split those two right now; seems like they are the top two?

BETSY KING: Yeah. I mean, that always has been streaky and I have always felt that -- I have known Beth for a long time I have always felt that she has had the best overall game out here, in my mind, and when she doesn't play well is when she fights the putter. When she gets her putter back on track then we can really dominate and I think she has, you know, has a very good golf swing and has a good short game. She is pretty feisty, but I think she uses that to her advantage and I just think that she is the most talent. Laura, in my mind, obviously physically has the most power of anyone out here. But I don't think she is quite as consistent as Beth is. I don't think her golf swing is as technically sound as Beth's is, but she is definitely the most exciting player to watch, and if -- I mean, I think she has improved quite a bit the last few years in terms of keeping the ball more in play. I mean how many times is she able to hit her driver? That, in my mind, is probably what puts her back, even though she is so strong, if she can get her driver in play, she would have that much more of an advantage. But it is really hard, I mean, between the two of them, it is just who happens to make the most putts. It is interesting. I mean, they are both great players. They are both good to play with. I have partnered with Beth in the Solheim Cup and I have certainly enjoyed that. Laura -- when you play with Laura you just see shots hit that you don't see hit by anyone else. It is -- so it is always fun.

LES UNGER: She said yesterday she could hit her driver 280.

BETSY KING: Oh, yeah, I mean, I asked JoAnne Carner the other week if she is the longest woman that has ever played and she said, yes, she is. I don't think people realize that sometimes. I don't think they realize just how good the women's players are. They think of -- and I don't mean to demean women's club players -- but they think that that is how we play, and I hit the ball like an average male player in terms of distance and just that much more consistent, but Laura Davies hits the ball as hard as a male tour player, and, you know, probably further than quite a few of them. So. . .

LES UNGER: If you hit your best and Laura hit her best, what would you be giving away?

BETSY KING: Probably 30, 40 yards. We are three clubs different on irons, but I mean, she is hitting an 8-iron about 165 yards, so -- but as I say, I mean, she hits her 2-iron and I can hit my driver a little past her 2-iron, so I mean, where is the -- I mean, even though she is standing there hitting a shorter iron in, if she could hit her driver every hole, obviously, that would be that much more of an advantage.

Q. Beth talked a little yesterday about the Hall of Fame and her approach to it. Do you have any thoughts on the requirements on that and --

BETSY KING: Well, I think obviously I have probably dealt with that question a lot more than Beth has in the last two years, but from my approach, I am just trying to play one shot at a time. I don't think it really becomes a factor and obviously teeing up on the first hole, I don't say "Am I going to be in the Hall of Fame at the end of the week." But when you get a chance to win, then that is the challenge to put those thoughts aside and just approach and play one shot at a time. I believe that the requirements will be changed, and I think they need to be, but I think right now they are kind of waiting just for the few of us that are close that have a chance and I hope that -- I think beyond Amy, Beth and I, I don't believe you will see anybody else get in the next ten years unless they change the requirements.

Q. Because after the three of you there is --

BETSY KING: Quite a drop off. And they will change. I mean, obviously, they need to. There are just more players out here Judy Dickinson mentioned to me last night that Betsy Rawls -- the official wins listed for Betsy Rawls, it was one round of golf in a tournament and that counted as an official win. That would never happen today. But there is just so many good players and there are -- not only are the numbers greater, but the number of good players are greater too, so I think the idea of a point system is good. But I think it just needs to be adjusted to reflect -- in my mind, the Hall of Fame should be the best players of each era that they are in. And the way it is weighted out now, it is saying like everybody that started on the tour in the 1950s are the best players and I just don't think that is true.

Q. Any maybe giving points for the Vare Trophy and player of the year and each Major having some weight--

BETSY KING: Yes.

Q. -- it is just as difficult to win?

BETSY KING: Exactly, why should it be different-- I don't know if I would put it five points. I might drop it to three but every major be three points. Give a couple of points for Vare Trophy; player of the year, leading money winner, just to add a few more ways to make points.

Q. So the overall concept would remain as it should be and I think it is respected throughout the sports world?

BETSY KING: Right.

Q. Because it is the most difficult, but it would give them a shot?

BETSY KING: Yeah, I think it is interesting because of the way that the Hall of Fame has been set up, we have probably had more publicity about it than any other Hall of Fame in sports. So from that standpoint, it has been a plus, but on the other hand, as a player, I don't think I would want to be starting on tour right now and to think that I have to win 30 tournaments with two different Majors to have a realistic chance of getting in there.

Q. Everybody is against voting -- which can take such bizarre terms -- but the older players like Judy Rankin, for instance, came so close, an option -- if an option could be there that once a year they wouldn't have to vote someone in every year as some of the other awards where not every year an award is given, but the possibility for the members of the Hall to vote on someone like Judy Rankin and have at least the option if they feel that they deserve that?

BETSY KING: Right.

Q. Do you think something of that nature would be--

BETSY KING: I think that has been talked about as well to have some sort of procedure for people that have already finished their careers and were close to the Hall, but didn't make it. I think that would be fine, too. You know, there has been different people that have sort of set standards. I know Judy Rankin was the first player to earn 100,000 a year. A lot of marks that were made, and certainly, I think that that will be addressed.

Q. Betsy, what is your assessment as to how difficult these greens are in this golf course?

BETSY KING: Well, I think you know, it is a little deceptive right now because they are little bit softer than they normally are just because -- well, I played yesterday morning; I think that was one thing, and now with this rain, they are obviously going to be softer which takes away a little bit from the hardness of them. But the key here, I think, is to keep the ball below the hole. If you get pin high or above, you are going to have a tough time getting down at two. For the most part, they slope back to front, and you just have to try to keep the ball below the hole. There is a lot of break. Obviously the speed of the greens is going to be fast, and it takes some imagination to play them.

Q. How happy are you with your putting now?

BETSY KING: Well, actually I feel better. I mean, I have putted pretty poorly. I mean, I have kept stats the last two months, and everything has gone up except for my putting. I mean, it has gotten better. I have hit more fairways; hit more greens. I have done better with my chipping and my pitching, but my putting average has gone up, and so I did get a lesson yesterday and I feel better because I like to have something positive to work on, and I think that will make an immediate result to get better.

Q. Who did you work with?

BETSY KING: Ed Oldfield is here-- is here yesterday and today. So I like to have something to work on and I think it is a positive thing.

Q. After just playing a time or so, is there a stretch of this golf course that may make the difference?

BETSY KING: I mean, it is hard to pick out holes. Every hole, in my mind, can be tough or can be easy. Probably 6 and 7 are maybe a little bit longer. I think particularly 6 kind of a long approach shot and the green, the way it is set, if they put the pin back left it is going to be hard to really shoot at it. But you know, any of the holes out there can jump up and get you.

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