MCDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY AIG

June 20, 2001

Betsy King

BETSY KING: I'm here as an LPGA player involved in a project that we are doing on tour this year, called Drive for Life, and it is the official international project of the LPGA Tour. We are the partnering with a humanitarian relief organization called World Vision, and we are sponsoring a village called Ruvu Remiti in Tanzania, and our goal is to raise at least $340,000 for the village. It is called an Area Development Project and we will use that money to supply food, safe water, education and health workers, as well as address the issue of AIDS there, and we are doing that in a number of ways. Finally, I guess at the end of this year, November 26 through December 5, there's a group of players that will go to Ruvu Remiti to meet the people that we are supporting. The way that we are raising this money is; we started out with the donation of $150,000, anonymous donation. Players have pledged a percentage of their earnings for the year. Other players have made financial donations. There have been 36 children that are now sponsored by players, and that involves about a $25 monthly support to sponsor a particular child in Ruvu Remiti. We have also had a dinner in Naples, Florida, which was a Hunger Banquet to make people aware. There were about 30 players that attended that, as well as people from Naples, to raise money for the project. We have had booths at the various events, and one of the programs that we are trying to reach out to our fans is called the Playing Partners Program, where someone can make a donation for each birdie a player makes on tour for the year. On average players make 250 birdies in a year. So far, we have raised I think over $205,000. There's 107 players that have signed up in some way, either made their name available as a playing partner or have made a contribution to the Drive for Life. Later this year we will do a 30-hour famine (fast). Basically, you fast for 30 hours, get people to sponsor you, and then use that money to go toward the Drive for Life, and we are scheduling to do that in November of this year. Also, we have done one clinic to raise money -- I just did a clinic at a club in Florida, and we are going to try to do that at several other sites later this year, at Columbos, Ohio and perhaps Minneapolis, Minnesota, do a clinic and a lunch, get donations from people to attend. Suzanne Strudwick is here, and Cris Stevens, who coordinates her LPGA Christian Fellowship, will be going to Africa, as well. There will be about ten of us, I think that will go to Africa this fall. I think the goal of our project is twofold. One, to raise awareness of the issue of world hunger, and secondly to financially support the people of Ruvu Remiti, Tanzania. I think it is an education process for all of us. It is an education process for the players to understand the issue of world hunger, and to get them to be involved in something that's bigger than themselves and maybe not something that they are going to benefit from. There's so many things that happen to you out on Tour that are beneficial to you; that sometimes it is hard to get outside of that circle and see beyond yourself, and I see this project as doing that. And also, to educate our fans, sponsors. We are trying to get all parts of the LPGA family involved in the project.

BETSY KING: I was quoted in USA Today as saying, "I want to raise $1 million." I'm halfway through and we only have $200,000. I think with the Playing Partners, to get fans to sign up, the sponsors, that's something that can really grow. What happens is -- I have that information here. Like, I handed out to the four guys I played with in the Pro-Am today, that if they want to be playing partners, including Matt Suhey, the former NFL running back. If you see him, give him a hard time if he doesn't sign up. That's just a great way to get the fans involved. We are in a position of influence where we can really get the word out and hopefully get fans and sponsors to help raise money for Tanzania. I mean, obviously, the reason that we chose Tanzania, was that we went to World Vision; said that we want a place where we are most needed, where our money will go further. They gave us a choice of three different areas and we chose Tanzania.

BETSY KING: They can sign up to be involved in a project. There's a web site, which is www.worldvision.org/DriveforLife. There's a phone number for World Vision, which is based in Seattle, Washington. It is interesting to know that World Vision, they celebrated their 50th anniversary last year, as well. They are involved in close to 100 countries around the world. So they are experts in knowing how to get aid to the people that need it the most. I know there are a group of us that went to Romania at the end of 1993 and '94, and it was truly a life-changing experience, and I'm sure that this one will be, as well. We certainly would appreciate the support of any of the members of the media, too.

BETSY KING: I have over $200 in sponsorship for each birdie that I make. Last year I made 315 birdies on Tour. I haven't done quite as well this year. But, you know, it's interesting, because when you are not playing that well, I think: "Okay, I've got to make some birdies coming in, at least raise some money for the Drive for Life."

CRIS STEVENS: The European Tour, too, has just embraced this project and they are not going to do Tanzania because of how World Vision is structured, but they are going to do Uganda and have a village there and have kind of a separate but very similar idea. They are kicking it off at a dinner coming up on the European Tour, very similar to the one we had in Naples, and kind of following what this tour is doing. Also the NFL, there are some teams that are wanting to structure what we have done on how they can help and raise money in this way, and also one WNBA team has also decided. So, this is not just a project that the LPGA has embraced, but it is becoming -- we are becoming a leader in this kind of fund-raising with professional athletes, and I think the LPGA can really be a -- they are taking the lead and that's something to be commended.

BETSY KING: I'm not sure. I think we will reevaluate at the end of the year. We'll see if the Tour decides -- the LPGA has been involved for a number of years with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and so we went " okay" and said that's something that's here in the United States, we would like to do something internationally. A number of players are involved in various charities, but we are an international tour. We thought maybe this would be the time to do something internationally. I think we will sit down at the end of the year and see what everyone thinks, and then go from there.

BETSY KING: Right. Every little bit helps. It's a World Vision. Drive for Life.

CRIS STEVENS: It's fun, too, because so many players have adopted children and it is going to be fun for myself, especially, to go there and meet the child. I know there are a lot of charity organizations where you can adopt kids, but it's very difficult to actually go out and meet them and it's been fun to receive letters from her and finally to know that I'll get to actually meet her at the end of the year.

BETSY KING: I was talking to one player today who said she received a letter back. She is sponsoring a 9-year-old girl and she sent her a world map and circled Tanzania, where the girl lives, and she is from California -- Sara Sanders, circled California where she is from. I think it is really neat to have that contact and then to actually get to meet someone you are helping makes it extra special.

SUZANNE STRUDWICK: I think it is important to mention that World Vision has staff and national staff in Tanzania. If we meet the goal, we don't just totally pull out. What the funds raise, they will provide systemic aid, long-term aid to help them improve their situation themselves. And then the nationals and the world vision staff are there to continue, not to just come and kind of dump money on them and expect that they will bring change somehow. But it's a long-term developmental plan.

BETSY KING: Not really. For whatever reason, I end up being the spokesperson sometimes. But no, I think Cris is the one that actually first approached World Vision, and then there's been a number of players involved in different ways. There was a committee that put together the dinner and there will be a committee that heads up the 30-hour famine. I've been contacting the sponsors, trying to get space at the tournaments and maybe having been around tour for a while, knowing some of the people at the different tour events, so I've kind of been doing that probably more than anything.

BETSY KING: People are involved in different things. It's not that everybody is doing everything. They are just doing different things. But the Playing Partners, no, we are not expecting them to fast for 30 hours.

BETSY KING: The trip is scheduled November 26 to December 5, but I think we will actually be in the village about a week. There's travel time, and I think there's a safari planned on the side, I don't know.

BETSY KING: Like nine or 11 shots that we have to take, and we have to start getting those now.

BETSY KING: Yes, they can. One of the things they gave us, too, they made up little cards for us to autograph as players. I've taken them out and handed them out to the kids, and it has on the back that they can go to the Web site and look up information about the Drive for Life. I thought that was kind of a neat thing.

BETSY KING: I think there were nine of us that went both years and we were going in with a group called Extended Hand that were involved with adoptions. And so while we were there, we went and visited several orphanages and just played with the kids there. There was there was a boy there that was brought back to Bucharest that was adopted and now lives in Seattle. We got to see him the next summer in Seattle with his family. Obviously, too, I think if every player can go over and see that, just to get a picture, realize how fortunate you are to be in this country, understand that we live get better than 99% of the world population. It just puts things into perspective as to how unimportant it is to win a golf tournament. I think for me personally, and I think a lot of other players, we had the opportunity to make a difference and do everything you can, whether it be to speak out about these issues or to actually go and to help. It's not that we did a great thing while we were there, but it really meant a lot to the people that we didn't go just once but that we came again the next year. Everybody that comes here says they are coming back and they don't. So I think that was a big thing, too.

BETSY KING: Sure. Romania -- well, not interesting for me, but in high school, I had gone into East Germany, East Berlin and had seen Communism a little bit. This was just a few years after the fall of the dictator there, basically a communistic society for 50 years, and so there was that going on, to see that. Here is a corrupt government. I think going to Tanzania, I think just the physical poverty will be so much greater and I think the development of the civilization; there's not going to be cars, dirt roads, people living in huts, that kind of thing. I assuming it's going to be a lot less developed, and I don't think that you can fully prepare yourself for it. So I'll let you know when I get back. But I don't think you can fully prepare yourself for it.

SUZANNE STRUDWICK: There will be a meeting in Amsterdam for a briefing time, and then a night or two after we leave Tanzania for a debrief together.

BETSY KING: I think the only advantage that we have is we are used to traveling -- or for a lot of people, just to get on the plane and make the trip over there, it is a big deal, but we are used to flying. I think that would be the only advantage. If there is quote, an advantage, I think that would be the only advantage that we do have.

BETSY KING: I'm not sure. Cris knows the names more than I do.

SUZANNE STRUDWICK: The actual sign-up is not until a couple of weeks. There are about 15 people that signed up and the maximum that we can take is 15. World Vision is taking two people and there will be a camera person, also. One of the players wants to bring her son, so we're possibly considering that.

CRIS STEVENS: One of my friends, she is a pediatrician in Knoxville, and she's going to be traveling with us, as well.

BETSY KING: For me personally, my Christian faith, I think it is reason that I've gotten involved. Not that you shouldn't always be involved, but I just think that has involved -- made me understand the importance of helping others, as certainly Christ did. It just puts things in perspective. I think when you get out on TOUR, you live such a sheltered life, and people respond to you so many times by what number you are on the Money List and sometimes you get a lot of your self-worth tied up in how you perform. And I think when you do things like this, it puts things back into perspective and makes you understand how you can be of value in other ways, other than just playing golf. I don't know -- if I didn't do this, I think I would value the playing of the golf a lot less. I really see the golf as a vehicle to make a difference.

BETSY KING: I think it makes me want to do well that much more, because, you know, if I could make a little more, that means I can give a little more and that means I can get in front of people to tell them about the project. I have to think: I can't quit now, because I have all these people signed up to sponsor this. I have to keep going to get monies raised for the project.

BETSY KING: Actually, I've been struggling a little bit this year. I have not played that well. Last year I had a good year. It's hard. I mean, it's harder every year. I think it's harder to stay in shape physically. When you are 25, you can eat whatever you want. You basically don't have to exercise that much and you are limber. As you age, it's just that much harder to get to that place. I'm not playing as well as I did in my prime. But I still enjoy it. I think if I can do things like this, that if I am playing, that still puts me in the limelight to be able to do that. Obviously, when I retire, I'm going to lose that place of influence somewhat. But right now, I'll evaluate at the end of this year and make that decision, and go with that for the rest of the year. Otherwise, I think you put too much pressure on yourself if you don't at least commit for the year. Beth Daniels played well this year. She's about a year younger than I am and she's done quite well. She has a good golf swing, a lot of length naturally so that she is able to still compete.

BETSY KING: It's interesting because we've played this tournament in so many -- playing in May, it plays a lot different. When I won, it was this time of year. I think it played hard and fast. Of course, you know, we had all that rain over the weekend, so it is not playing as fast. But when we used to play in May, it played a lot longer and favored the longer hitters. Now it is back more to the way it was in '87. But I think the players are better, so I think the scoring is lower because of that. You know, I think you'll see some pretty low score this week. The fairways are fairly generous. They haven't been narrowed down too much. I think the rough is tough, so I think it does place a premium on hitting the ball in the fairway. If the greens are -- probably going to get a little quicker each day. They were a little bit slow starting out the week. But I just think you are going to see some good -- when you consider this a major events, it's not like a U.S. Open where par is a real good score. I think you'll see some low numbers here. Wasn't Juli pretty far under last year? I can't remember.

BETSY KING: Last year, when did we play? Was it in June?

BETSY KING: I'm eating my words. (Laughs). It didn't seem like it was playing that hard yesterday.

BETSY KING: Definitely, I think the fairways right now are the best I've ever seen them. They are really good. The greens, I think because of that rain -- they used to be so fast that when you got above the hole, it really plays to a premium on keeping the ball below the hole. Right now they are not quite to that speed; sometimes when you were above the hole where, it was hard to get it within three or four feet. Having said that, I think they are going to get them faster each day. You know, it's a good golf course. It's never going to be a really, really hard golf course, but it's a good golf course.

BETSY KING: I don't think that people see them as rivals, but I think they see them as the two top players. If you were to pick the two best players, I think their play definitely says that they are the two best. There's a lot of good players, but I think week-in, week-out, they are probably -- have more chances of winning more than anybody else does for the year. So we don't have the one player, like Tiger Woods. I think you could say Annika and Karrie. Karrie might be a little bit longer. Annika is a little steadier. So they are really close in their games and how they play and how they dominate the Tour.

BETSY KING: I think so. I think maybe if Tiger had a little bit more -- I don't want to make it sound like the other guys can't play, but I mean if there was that person that was his foil that he was playing off of, maybe that would be more of a story, I'm not sure. I think we would like to have an American in there. That would probably help us a little bit, too, because you know how the U.S. is. When we go to -- every country is proud of their best players and I think if we had an American, it would help our tour a little bit, too.

BETSY KING: That's Dottie, because she is so competitive, even when she doesn't have her best game she is going to find a way to be in there and have a chance. That's a credit to her competitiveness to do that.