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LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 21, 2008

Rosie Jones

CORNING, NEW YORK

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Rosie, thanks for coming in and joining us this week. You are the only back-to-back and two-time champion in Corning Classic history, and you came out of retirement to come back here and play this event. Can you just kind of talk about that decision and the Corning Classic?
ROSIE JONES: Sure. Well just over a week ago, actually it wasn't even till Tuesday, it was a week ago, a week ago Tuesday that Dawn Marie from the tournament office called me up and asked if I wanted to come up. First she had called me the week before to ask if I would come up and help celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Corning Classic, and I said, Well let me think about that, you know. And I had some things already on my docket and wanted to see if I could shift things around. And it had been tugging on my sleeve a lit bit, my heart to come to Corning because knowing that it was their 30th anniversary I wanted to be here. And I've been here the last couple years as a commentator. So even though I was retired was still in the setting and in the environment of the Corning Classic which has always been a big event for me.
But when I called her back and said, Well, you know, if I'm coming up for the 30th anniversary, what are the chances that I can play? So looking at the rosters and the way that things kind of fell into place with Anna, taking her place in the tournament on her status, it opened up an invite that could use. So that's the way it happened.
And it was, you know -- I was thrilled. Once I decided to come up, it was really a thrill for me to think about it. And it definitely would take this tournament to get me out of retirement, to come out and play. Wouldn't do this for any tournament.
I haven't really want to go back out and play on the LPGA in the last two years that I've been retired.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: As you said, this is the 30th anniversary of the Corning Classic. So we've kind of been asking everyone if they could recollect a few of their favorite memories from the Corning Classic over the years.
ROSIE JONES: Wow, and I've got a zillion. A lot of great rounds, a lot of great shots, some near misses; you know, coming in behind Laura Diaz, chasing her down as she won. Of course, my two wins in '96 and '97 and beating Tammy Greene in the playoffs in '97. You know, just a -- you know, going toe-to-toe with a lot of the great players on the Tour here.
It's just -- you know, Corning is a great place to play. We all really enjoy the people here and the fans; they get into it, the loyalty they have for the LPGA. And not only, you know, playing the golf course and every day but, you know, going out to Main Street and Market Street and of course Wegmans. But we just love this town. It's fun to play here. I got a lot of -- I couldn't tell you all of them, but that playoff against Tammy Greene was a good one.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: All right, questions for Rosie Jones?

Q. Rosie, since your retirement, how many LPGA events have you played in?
ROSIE JONES: Zero. The U.S. Open in 2006 was my last event. So that was right like in the middle of June. The last event I played in was Rochester that year.
And I had started to commentate during that year, and then I was commentating, you know, during the '07 season as well. But I did not tee it up, nor did I ever think I was going to.
This was really a -- out on a limb for me. Because, you know, I just didn't really have that need or feel or craving to, you know, play again. And now that I'm back here it's a little bit scary. As soon as I said okay, yeah, Dawn Marie, I'm going to come out and play, as soon as I hung up the phone I thought, what am I crazy, what am I thinking. I haven't really taken my game serious since I-- you know, I've played some senior events and actually won them; I won a couple last year. But really haven't taken the game serious for over two years so it's a little bit scary for me.

Q. Talking about taking the game seriously, you know you said you were coming back to help celebrate, but let's say you are contending and end up finishing second, are you still going to be as mad as you would have been ten years ago?
ROSIE JONES: Probably not. I'd probably be very grateful to get a top-ten this week. The way I feel about my game. There's not a whole lot of -- of course I want to play well. It would be a miracle to win. And but you know what, stranger things have happen in this game, and you never know.
I just know that it takes a lot of work to keep your game in shape to play at the top of the game like you do in the LPGA. And these girls really do have great games.
That's one of the things I realized over the last two years was it does take a lot of work to keep your game up. And the hard work that I did for 25 years to keep my game in shape to play and try to win every single week was, you know, a lot more than what I'm doing right now.
You know I go out and play a couple times a week, kind of relaxed golf, it's not a lot of work. For that reason, mainly because my body couldn't take it any more. And I didn't enjoy it because my body didn't feel good. So now that my body has started to heal and feel a little bit better, you know, I just don't play as much golf. The more golf I play, the worst I feel. So just easier for me to have fun and relax with it.

Q. Being away from the course for a few years, once you got back on it did it feel like riding or bike where it was familiar?
ROSIE JONES: Sure, of course. Corning -- I played Corning more than I played any other tournament in the 25 years that I was out here. And then the last two years I was commentating so I was still out on the golf course. It wasn't like I wasn't, you know, familiar with it.
But I will have to say in the practice round yesterday that the golf course is in absolutely the best shape I've ever seen it, and the greens are rolling really, really nice. And that's the difference.
You know, it's one thing to go and be on the golf course commentating the last two years, but now that I've got on the greens and putting them, you know, the speeds and the breaks and stuff like that, I have to get a little bit more familiar with. And that's going to be really my task this week is to really have a good putter in my hand which always was my forte when I play out here full-time.

Q. Since stepping away from the game and working for the Golf Channel do you see the Tour the differently at all? Do you see the game -- do you have a different viewpoint of the game?
ROSIE JONES: Well I was only commentating for about a year and a half. I'm not commentating this year. I started up my up business, Rosie Jones Golf Getaways where I take women on golf vacations. I'll talk about that later. But to answer your question, it did take me a little while to go from player to commentator. And just as I was kind of getting there, you know, kind of getting familiar in that role and feeling comfortable in that role, you know, I started to, I think, really find my voice in commentating and then I was only asked to commentate a few events this year so I chose not to do that.
But, you know, it did take a little while for me to make that transition. And then now jumping back into as a player, and that's much easier transition since I was always a player and always will be. A little more comfortable in the players' shoes then commentating.

Q. Sherri Turner was in here yesterday and she was talking about how a lot of the veteran players really appreciate this event and tournament. Do you see from what you have observed, do you see a difference of a perception from the players that have been around for a number of years to some of the younger players coming on the Tour as to how they see the Corning Classic?
ROSIE JONES: Well I'm not really sure. But in general I think the younger players, you know, don't share the sentiments of a lot of tournaments, you know. And we have a lot of tournaments that have been around for a long period of time, Rochester, Loral (sic), Portland, Jamie Farr, you know. And when they're new, they don't share that same sentiment.
When they go to an event seven, eight, nine, ten times, then they're going to start to appreciate those tournaments that have been there and the longevity that they've had. And I think we probably were the same way when we were really young. You know, that we didn't know what was going on. We're at the tournament for the fourth time we think it's always going to be there. And, you know, the older players they probably were the favorites at that time and had that sentiment for the time.
And so, you know, I think as a tournament, as those young players go several years in a row and have their favorites then they find that same feeling for different tournaments then they will for here.
And, of course everybody is like the Corning's great. And some players, you know, they haven't been here as often; they don't really get it. And, you know, you can't really blame a lot of players that don't come here. It runs right into a part of the season that is really difficult for the Majors and the big events and stuff like that. But it's those players that are the veterans that have been here, they like it for a lot of other different reasons that continue to come back here.
And, you know, Corning has made it through all these years always being in that spot where the big tournaments are around it, the Majors are right after, and they are always fighting for that spot and those players, and they've succeed in several years of doing that.
So I'm sure, you know, it all evens out at some point. But, yeah, it's tough.

Q. Maybe on continuing with that. Again, one of the veteran players here yesterday, Cindy Rarick, mentioned the possibility of this tournament coming to an end on the LPGA Tour and kind of gave a little promotion for the Legends Tour taking over Corning. Just your thoughts on that? Again, saying where maybe the veteran players seem to appreciate Corning more where this might be a better venue for a Legends type event?
ROSIE JONES: Any time you have a tournament that has been in existence for 30 years, that town is familiar with all the players, you know, going back to Sandra Spuzich, Pat Bradley, Pat Shand, all those players are playing on The Legends Tour now. Sure, if there was ever an option to change the venue I think that would be a great alternative.
But Corning, you know, as I just mentioned has had a strong existence. The Corning Classic has had a great and strong existence in Corning for 30 years.
And there is always -- when a contract is up there's always that speculation, it happens at every single tournament that comes around when the contract is up, it's always going around whether the sponsors are going to renew or if the Tour will remain in that town. There's always that speculation. So I think it's pretty natural and normal feeling for wondering here. But as Jack Benjamin had said yesterday as well with the option in 2010 they still feel like they're going be here hopefully for another 30.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Any other questions for Rosie? All right. Thanks for your time and thanks for coming out this week.

End of FastScripts

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