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DOTTIE PEPPER,
WHERE ARE YOU WHEN I NEED YOU? Dottie Pepper Hilary Lunke Aree Song As for the women, I use
to pull for the Furman golfers as Furman University is nearby. Betsy
King and Beth Daniel were great to watch and cheer for. Then my
favorite, Dottie Pepper, came along and got everybody excited with
her energy and feistiness. Dottie was always fist pumping and shouting,
“yes, yes, yes.“ as she watched a putt trickle into
the cup. She was always at her best when she had to make a putt
to win or come from behind on Sunday. Dottie was so spunky and hard
to beat in match play. Nancy Lopez, a Tulsa University graduate,
was the closest thing to an Arnold Palmer on the ladies’ circuit
with her charisma and great play. She had a huge following on tour.
I also like and respect Julie Inkster a great deal. She has had
a terrific career but she is 44 now and entering the twilight of
her career as are King and Daniel. Dottie and Nancy have retired.
I am really going to miss watching Dottie. So who will become my
newest favorite on the Tour and encourage me to retain an interest
in following the LPGA ? One of my problems is the new look of the LPGA Tour. It has really become a culturally diverse, international tour. In many ways that is very exciting and alluring as it is on the men’s tour but it seems the old American tour as we knew it, is a thing of the past. A look at the top 30 money winners this season with only a month or so left in the year, only nine Americans are listed. Meg Mallon is second on the list and is having a great year but for some reason she just hasn‘t caught my fancy. Of course, all the interest and attention is given to Annika Sorenstam of Sweden, who is number one in the world and great to watch but everybody expects her to win week after week. I saw her come from behind to win another yesterday at the Samsung World Championship. It was her 54th title. She borders on over exposure but I think her management group guards against it. Annika is terrific and great to watch but I still need an underdog. As an American and a patriot I feel in my heart that my favorite should probably hail from the USA. Simply, I can identify more with an American. There are 12 countries represented on the Top 30 list believe it or not. You could make a case that the LPGA could be the Korean tour with nine Koreans in the top 30 and many others playing the tour. At present there aren’t many Americans poised to win on tour regularly. I hate to be provincial but I always end up pulling for the Americans. Christie Kerr seems to
have a good chance of becoming America’s best. She is 27 now
and seasoned and fifth on the Top 30 list. Of course, Michele Wie
has great potential but it will be a few years before she plays
the tour full time. Perhaps I should drop my American requirement
and go for looks. Carin Koch is a beautiful woman who hails from
Sweden but she might not be able to compete at the highest level.
She is 29th on the money list right now. Carin did go to school
in the United States at Tulsa. In fact many of the great foreign
golfers were educated at American universities including Annika
who matriculated at Arizona U. Fifteen of the top 30, foreign born
money winners were also educated at American universities. I also
like the way Lorena Ochoa of Mexico looks and plays and she went
to Arizona as well. Aree Song, who was born in Thailand, but claims
Korea as her homeland, is a real looker and proving herself on Tour.
So what to do; who to choose? |
