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CN CANADIAN WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

August 13, 2008

Dawn Coe-Jones

OTTAWA, ONTARIO

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Dawn, thanks for joining us today. I know this is an event close to your heart being here playing on the LPGA Tour in Canada. Talk about returning here to play this week.
DAWN COE-JONES: Well, as you said, it's a special event for me. Always has been for 25 years. I think I've only missed one, and that was when it was pregnant with my son.
But coming home is always a special time, and especially coming to Ottawa, the nation's capital. I can't think of a better spot aside from maybe March Meadows in Honeymoon Bay to wind up my career, but can't host an event there.
But it's just nice to see a lot of old friends and make new friends and come back to a golf course that we played that's phenomenal. Going to be a fun week for me.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: I know there have been some reports that this may or may not be your last week. You want to address that?
DAWN COE-JONES: Well, this definitely will be my last Canadian Open. Mixed feelings about this being my last year, and going out with a broken foot in February has kind of, you know, made it tough for me.
I wanted to go out and play well and enjoy the year, but I've only played one event and really wasn't ready to play that. So disappointment definitely for my last year, but this will be my last one here.
If I can get into the tournament in Kapalua, Hawaii, it ends on my birthday and I love Hawaii. That will be my last official LPGA event for sure.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: All right. Questions for Dawn.

Q. Just wondering, you look at how successful the LPGA Tour is right now, seems like it's never been more popular. Can you talk about some of the evolution in your experience, your memories of how things have changed.
DAWN COE-JONES: Well, certainly when I got out on tour in 1984, play was maybe not -- players -- there weren't as many players that could win every week like there are now. There were a lot the gaps. Although the players were strong back then, we could be five, six over and still make the cut.
Technology I think has changed our tour. That's the biggest change I see. Everybody is hitting the ball long and straight with all the hybrids and all that it's making the game maybe a bit easier. We used to hit 1-irons and 2-irons. Well, I didn't hit a 1 -- iron. Nancy Scranton did.
It's changed, but I think for me I have been very lucky. I got play with JoAnne Carner, Patty Sheehan, Nancy Lopez, a lot of the great -- Beth Daniel, Hall of Fame players.
I moved into the next era of the Hall of Fame players, Karrie Webb and Juli Inkster and that sort of thing. And of course Annika.
Now all the young kids that I certainly could be a mother of like a third of this tour. So it's time to move on.

Q. Do you feel the tour starting to catch up to you? Is there more fatigue?
DAWN COE-JONES: You know what, I don't think it's that portion of it. I have always been a streaky putter kind of player. I can still hit the ball fine. I can keep it up and actually hit it by a few people out here.
It's more the desire. I would much rather be home with my family. 25 years of travel, it's not easy anymore, those types of things. I've got other things in my life that are important, and maybe more important than golf.
Before golf was, you know, it was my job, it's what I did, and I worked hard at it. But now I think it's time to move on.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the induction ceremony for Lisa Walters. I understand that you're going to be speaking in some fashion at the ceremony. Have you worked out what you're going to say, and can you tell is what it's going to be?
DAWN COE-JONES: God, you're stressing me out. I've been stressed out about the darn speech. When I was inducted I started out my speech like four months beforehand. I started three days ago, and having read it again this morning I went, Man, this is pretty boring.
The neat thing about Lisa is for those of us that are very close to her, we have so many funny stories, and yet we're not going to be able to share -- maybe a handful with you, because they're that funny and that kind of a little bit off the wall.
But I'm proud of Lisa. I'll talk about her career and how we talked, that she would still probably be playing had it not been for all her injuries. She was a very talented golfer, and unfortunately those injuries forced her from the game. I know she'd still like to be out here.
But we'll have a little fun. We've got a few little things figured out, and it'll be a nice night.

Q. Talk about a bit of the state of the game now with the girls coming up in Canada, all the girls coming up. Do you hope there will be more girls from Canada?
DAWN COE-JONES: I think it goes in ebbs and flows, and I think we're back on the rise again now again, that I think in the next few years you're going to see a lot more Canadian golfers out there on tour.
We went through a period of time we didn't have anybody new coming up. It's nice to see Alena like the leader out there now. She's been playing well and getting more and more comfortable out there. The younger gals that are in amateur golf are closer in age to Alena and see what she's done. I think she's going be to the one that will lead the next group out there.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: So you guys know, the Duramed Futures Tour, which is the LPGA's developmental tour, I believe there are 21 Canadian players on this tour this year.
DAWN COE-JONES: That's awesome.

Q. One of the complaints on the PGA Tour is that there's not as many true winners as there used to be. Lots of guys who are content because there's so much money. I'm wondering, in your experience going back, people who would win that didn't care if there was any money there, do you see the same thing on the LPGA Tour now, or is that not a legitimate comparison?
DAWN COE-JONES: No, not at all. I think the young guns out here now, they want to win. I don't think it's about the money for your Paula Creamers and Natalie Gulbises and Cristie Kerrs. I think they want to win. Annika set a bar.
Obviously, you know, a couple years ago Lorena Ochoa wanted to be No. 1, and she has done a phenomenal job of getting herself in that position. And I don't think she's chasing money. She's been chasing titles.

Q. Regardless of how you play this week, are you looking forward to that last walk up the 18th fairway? Are you anxious to get to that moment, or not wanting that moment to get here so quick?
DAWN COE-JONES: Well, it teared me up with two of my best friends. I have my best friend, Kelly, caddying for me, so regardless of whether that walk is on Friday or Monday it'll be an emotional one for sure.
But that being said, I'm going to do my best to try to have fun and just enjoy it and be thankful for all the great times that I've had that walk.
You know, certainly it would have been fun to have that walk and be the winner like Jocelyn Bourassa was back in the day. But I have no regrets and I'm not ashamed of anything that I've done out here. I feel like when I played in Canada I represented myself and my province and my country well.
I'll just go out there and enjoy it and, you know, realize the only clapping I'll probably get will be at home. That'll be fine. I'm okay with all that. It's all good.

End of FastScripts

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