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LPGA CORNING CLASSICMay 20, 2008Sherri TurnerCORNING, NEW YORK ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Sherri, thanks for coming in and joining us today. 1988 Corning Classic Champion. Welcome back. And could just kind of talk about your memories of the Corning tournament and your win here in '88. SHERRI TURNER: Sure. Well first let me say how great it is to be back. This is a 20-year anniversary for me, but I think I've been here 24. This is my 24th Corning Classic. It's my 25th year and I missed one year; couldn't be here that year unfortunately. But as soon as I get into town I just, you know, I have a lot of good memories of this place. It's awesome. First thing I remember about Corning is how wonderful the people are, the fans, the media, the press people, everyone is to the young players. Because I remember the first year that I came here and I was fortunate enough to play well and I was in the last group the last day and I was in the last group with Joanne Carter but I felt like a lot of people were actually pulling for me and that was awesome. I knew that year that Corning was a very special place. I had heard from a lot of other players and caddies my first year on tour that you could not miss the Corning Classic because it was the most special event on the tour. And I realized when I came here that it was very much was. As far as my win goes, I played well the first few years that I was here. I think I was in contention to win maybe two or three times before I actually won in '88, and it was very special because it was my favorite tournament on tour, and also because I had just won the previous week at the LPGA Championship. And I helped organize the first Monday Pro-Am in Corning. And I remember the day that I went out on Sunday to finish my tournament at the LPGA Championship and I was so into trying to figure out who was going to be on what Corning plane to come into Corning that I went out and won the tournament and I was probably more surprised than anyone. Then I came here Sunday night. Monday morning my Pro-Am team won, and at the end of the week I won the tournament. So it was a great two weeks. And Corning obviously was the most special part of all of that. ASHLEY CUSHMAN: You said 24-year history of you playing at this event. Are there any favorite moments that you can recollect? SHERRI TURNER: Well it had to be my first year when Carter made her last putt and a little plane flew over and it says, Corning loves big mama. I don't know if any of you were here then. I know you weren't. But this is 1984. I thought oh my God that is just fabulous. I mean you know here I was trying to win the tournament, but see when I was glowing up Joanne Carter was always my idol. So it was real special for me to be playing with her that day for the last round and then for me to realized how special it was for her to win that tournament, you know. I have a lot of fond memories of this place. That's probably my biggest one even though winning was probably obviously a bigger high than that. But I'm trying to think the week that I won. I had a few crazy things happen in years prior to that. My caddie locked my clubs in his car and he didn't -- I didn't know what he was going through trying to get my clubs out of his car when it was almost time for us to be going to the driving range to warm-up for the tournament round, and when I first saw him-- I came out of the clubhouse and I saw him and he was standing there and just dripping sweat. I'm like, what's up with you. He's like, Oh I'll tell you later. Then he told me he locked the keys and the clubs in the trunk of the car. He had to get one of those nice Corning policemen to help him unlock the car. But, you know, it's just everything about Corning. I mean, everything's special. It's not just one memory here and one memory there. It's just a really, really great place. It reminds me a lot of the town I grew up in, the people here do. The people appreciate when players come and support their event obviously. And I think it means a lot to them when players come back year after year. And I think they also -- I think people here really follow our tour and they love young players. They love to see young players come and win their event. And it's just a very special place. ASHLEY CUSHMAN: All right. Questions for Sherri Turner? Q. Did you play today; have you practiced? SHERRI TURNER: I played nine holes. Q. Can you talk about the course today; what the condition is in? SHERRI TURNER: The course is, without a doubt, in the best condition I've ever seen it. I played in the Pro-Am yesterday and as most of you know it was horrendous weather. We even had sleet out there yesterday. I could tell yesterday that -- I mean, I don't know what they have done this year -- I mean, last year it was spectacular but this year it is without a doubt the best I have ever seen it. And I think unfortunately for the players that are not here, they're missing out on a great course this year. Not that it's not always been a great course but condition wise, it's the greatest I've ever seen it. Q. What makes it that way? SHERRI TURNER: Just everything. The greens are smooth and the fairways are great. I mean, it's just, everything about it. I mean it's just -- it's got to be-- in all the courses that we've played this year, it's probably, if not the best condition-wise it's second; of all the ones that I've play for sure. I mean everything about it. I heard y'all had a pretty mild winter here. I don't know if that's true or not, and I don't know if that had anything to do with it, but it's greener. I mean it's always green here but, I mean, there's more grass than I've ever seen here. The tee boxes are great. But the greens, they're the smoothest I've ever seen them. So expect low scores this week guys if the weather's good. That's what I would say. Q. I'd like to ask you, you know, where you see your career is at this point. I see you didn't play at the beginning of year and now you are starting to get a little busier again. SHERRI TURNER: Yeah. Well I decided that because this was going to be my last year -- and I had actually told a few people here last year that last year was going to be my last year, but I ended up with an exempt card, and I thought well you know maybe I'll just play one more year, and what I'll do is I'll cut back on my schedule. So I didn't play early. I played I think I played maybe five tournaments. I think this might be my sixth tournament. And I've played three in a row. And last week I made the cut. I think I made the cut down in Florida when I played. But I've actually been playing better recently and just haven't been making any putts. So hopefully-- I'm actually pretty excited about coming here because I feel like my game's kind of coming around. I took a lot of time off. My mom's not been well, and I've spent a lot of time with her in the off-season. And, you know, I cut back on my schedule also partially so I could spend more time with her, but primarily because I knew that this was going to be it. I decided that, you know, 25 years, that's enough. Especially since I've been out here longer than most girls' age out here now. (Laughing). So I feel like, you know, my game's coming around and I feel pretty good about where it is right now coming here. Q. Can you talk a little bit about Annika's announcement that she is retiring, how you felt about that, how you feel it will affect the tour? SHERRI TURNER: I think it was a big shock to most if not all of the players. I mean, there may have been -- her closest friends may have known that it was coming, I don't know. But I commend her for being able to have the career that she's had and go out on top. I mean I think it's spectacular that she can do that. Because I know she has a lot of other things that she wants to do. She's got a lot of other things going on. I think it will certainly have an affect on our tour. Because, you know, Annika's been there for a number of years at the top and she's won 72 events on our tour. But I think, you know, with Lorena and some of the up and coming younger players-- I'm not going to say anyone is going to replace Annika because I don't see that's going to happen but Lorena is a special player. And we have some other younger players that are very special players. But I say to Annika-- I would say congratulations. I think it's awesome that she can, you know, go out where she is right now. Q. Looks like next year might be the last year for this event. Can you comment a little on that? SHERRI TURNER: It's sad. It really is. I've had a feeling this was going to be coming soon. You know, I get pretty emotional when I think about it. Because it's our longest event, running event on Tour, and unfortunately one of the hardest working events because we all know things don't come easy here. You have to work for it. And I hate knowing that that could happen. I'm sorry. ASHLEY CUSHMAN: It's all right. SHERRI TURNER: Some of us older players were talking about this today because we're thinking, well, what can we do, you know. And we're hoping that maybe we can persuade the people in Corning to maybe make it a senior event or something for the players, the older gals, that always supported Corning in the past. Whether or not they'll be interested in it, I have no idea, but we intend to talk to the people, you know, the Corning Classic people about it, maybe they'll see that maybe it might be something they might be interested in. I don't know. It's hard. It's hard to see an event like this come to an end because so many good memories. And I think if you talk to the veteran players, the players, you know, that are my age and older that don't play this event, don't play any more on the regular tour, that it would be really sad to know that was happening. It's very difficult. Unfortunately, you know, the money is the biggest thing and you guys know that. But I don't know -- I mean we have a few other events on our tour that are long running events like Toledo and Springfield. I don't really know like in years how long they've been with us, but I know it's been a number of years. But this event's real special to me. I really hate to see that happening. You know, if, you know, us older veteran players, if there's anything we can do to prevent that from happening, we would. Unfortunately, what is happening, what I see happening is that this tour has become a business like everything else, unfortunately. And the players today -- and I love them all, because they're great, the young players are great, but the players today are in it for the money for the most part. There's some that are in it for the love of the game, but they're going to go where the money is. And I hate seeing that happen because I know that's why this event is probably not going to continue. And maybe I'm wrong, maybe there's more to it than I know. Q. What are some of the specific things that you have heard that lead you to believe that it could be the end in a come years? SHERRI TURNER: Well I know, I have been told, and maybe I'm not been given correct information, but I've been told next year is the last year of the contract. Is that true? Q. Yes. SHERRI TURNER: And I believe just from other things that I've heard that, you know, our events are trying to get bigger purses. And I think because the main reason is because it gets the top players there. We thought that the one in four thing would work, but Corning knows that it hasn't. And it's actually kind of a one in five instead of a one in four if you look at it. If you guys understand how it works. I can understand the disappointment this year in the field because I was looking -- there's a lot of great players here. I mean, any one on our tour that plays regularly is capable of winning an event. And that's the good thing for Corning. You know, because -- and I look at the event, the champions, the people that have won this event in the past and there's some great champions that have won this event, but it's one of the events that only twice has a repeat champion. I mean there's so many different players that have won this event -- long hitters, short hitters, great putters, mediocre putters, great ball strikers, you know. But, in a way, that says a lot for Corning. Because -- and I know that the people here are disappointed because, you know, Lorena's not here and Annika's not here and certain other players aren't here, but the thing that I have seen at this tournament year in and year out, they've overcome that because they make everyone that is here feel special. I don't really know what the, where our commissioner's head is as far as goals for purses, prize money, but I'm guessing that she's probably going to like for every purse to be around $2 million real soon if not next year. I don't know. And I know that some tournaments just can't do that. And this community cannot be expected to do that. Q. You talked about how so many veterans love this tournament. Is there any reason why maybe there is a greater percentage of the older players who like this more so than the younger players? What is it that maybe doesn't connect with the younger players that does with the older players? SHERRI TURNER: I just think that the older players, the players that have been here year after year after year, they just feel, a connection with the community. And a lot of the younger players -- and I'm not really naming anyone in specific. A lot of younger players, like I said, they plan their schedule around the biggest prize money. And, like I said, because to them it's more -- it's become more of a business now. And because somebody made a comment to me, we're having so many tournaments in a row, there's 11 tournaments in a row. But, guys, I remember when I first came on tour, we had a tournament every week, and the players just played. You know, I mean the players just played. And you know my rookie year I remember playing like eight or nine tournaments a couple times in a row. I was exhausted at the end of the year. But I had to learn that you can't play that many in a row. But and you know there are certain times that you can't play certain events. But I mean I feel like, you know, the one in four rule is very fair. And it's unfortunate what's happened here. It really is. Q. I don't know if you want to go down this path but you mention the commissioner. The change in commissioners, does that have something to do with where the LPGA is headed? Is there a change in philosophy at the top? SHERRI TURNER: Well, I think there's a change -- I think there's a lot of reasons that the LPGA's changing. I think a lot of it -- and you guys look around and you see a lot of Asian players, and I know between, I mean, we're not going to get as many American sponsors anymore for one thing, you know. It's kind of tough. And I love all the Asian girls; they're all great, and you can't blame them for wanting to play because this is where all though money is, and they want to play with the best players in the world; and, you know, we welcome them here. But I think in the future I think -- I am just speculating about what I think is going to happen, and I could be way out of bounds with this, but I think we're probably going to go to more events in Asia and maybe more events in Europe period. I don't know. And then, you know, an event like Corning, I mean, if, you know, if they can't get the purse up to $2 million or whatever it has to be, I mean, I think, you know, it's going be one of the ones and you guys know it's going be gone. There's going to be some other events I think that we're going to lose. Q. Is this new direction of the Tour, did that go into your decision to -- SHERRI TURNER: It's part of it. I mean, I've paid my dues with traveling overseas. At age 51, I'm not really interested in doing that any more you know. It's just too hard. You know to the younger gals, they love it. I mean because you know they're going to places they've never been. They're seeing things they've never seen. And it's good for them, I guess. ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Are there any last questions for Sherri? Q. There's no easy segue from that but I'm doing a piece on the new drug policy. Do you have any thoughts on that? SHERRI TURNER: Not really. (Laughing). Q. Do you think there's a need for it? SHERRI TURNER: I think that one time some of the players felt there was. But I don't really think there is personally. But whatever. (Laughing). ASHLEY CUSHMAN: All right. Sherri, thanks for your time. Good luck this week. 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