Betsy King - Part 2 (1987 & 1990 Dinah Shore and the 1989 and 1990 Women’s U.S. Open)

Music playing  00:00

Mike Gonzalez  00:15

There were a whole lot of Hall of Famers, you were competing with in this era, you know, as we get into the 80s. And prize money is up substantially from the previous decade, thanks in large part to Colgate-Palmolive. David Foster the whole thing with The Dinah Shore beginning in 1972. So the the game had really changed. And then you know, Nancy Lopez, who many kind of described as the the LPGA is Arnold Palmer at the time emerges, but you got Pat Bradley, Amy, Beth, Juli, Patty, Sheehan, Hollis Stacy, you got some great players, you're up against every week?

King, Betsy  00:48

Yeah, yeah, I had somebody email me one time and said that the 1980s was the golden age of the LPGA only from the standpoint that there were more Hall of Famers playing in that decade than in any other decade in the history of the tour. And so it was fun to be a part of that. And when I look at all those players, they were all athletes, not just great golfers. They all were athletes and other sports and it was almost like because golf or tennis were the only two avenues at the time that you could play professionally. It was these athletic women choosing longer to try to make it and golf or tennis. Those are my only option. So I really think that was one of the reasons that they performed at such a high level was because they weren't just golfers they were athletes.

Mike Gonzalez  01:41

So Bruce, we go from from 1984 where Betsy was Player of the Year and the leading money winner through with three wins, three wins in 85 two wins in 86 which finished up with her going back to back at the Rail with that closing 63 And now we get into to 1987 Vare Trophy winner and four more wins that year.

Devlin, Bruce  02:03

Yeah, what a year and started off at the Circle K in Tucson at Randolph Golf Club, where you beat Jan Stephenson by two.

King, Betsy  02:15

I do remember that. Last day it hailed when we were playing. We you know just this hail storm came through and I think I made one hole I made about a 45 foot or literally, you know across the green when it was sailing. But yeah, that was always a fun event. I had a couple that I used to stay with down there. I still keep in touch with them to this day. And it was you know it was we played on a public Golf Course.

Devlin, Bruce  02:44

Good one too Randolph Park was a nice course

King, Betsy  02:47

The guys played on that at one time. Yeah. And so it was fun. And it was kind of right in the middle of town. And it was a fun event to play.

Mike Gonzalez  02:58

Let's talk about major number one Bruce

Devlin, Bruce  03:00

That's right, six of them. But the first one comes at the Nabisco Dinah Shore. Guess what? In another playoff, okay. Okay. All right. Patty Sheehan.

King, Betsy  03:12

Yeah, I again, I mean, I just I've had a couple of times that it's just ended up in the playoff and I believe on the 16th hole in the regulation. I hold it from the bunker. I had hit it right into the bunker and hit a really nice bunker shot, it was going to be close. And if it didn't go in, it was just trickling, and that trickled right into the hole for birdie. And I wasn't paired with Patty. But then of course we started the playoff and we started it on 15 which was a par four type par four. And I actually drove it to the right in the trees where I just had to pitch it back to the fairway and I know I had like 90 yards to the flag. I get it up and down for par and then ended up winning with a par on the 16th hole the next hole in the playoff I think paddy three putted and I made par to win.

Mike Gonzalez  04:10

Yeah, she three putted from 15 feet and Bruce if I recall that might have been her mulligan and you'll talk to her. Well, well, we'll ask you this later. Betsy one of our questions that would be that you can you got plenty time to think about that. But that might have been that might have been her mulligan Was that was that putt on that hole? But yeah, you were you were the 54 hole leader with Pat Bradley. You finished solo third one back and then Patty closes with a 65 to kind of get into the playoff with you. So but you held your own open with three straight birdies at that last round before holding that shot on 16

King, Betsy  04:51

Okay, yeah, I didn't I didn't remember that.

Mike Gonzalez  04:55

You remember, you remember what Laura Davies did that tournament? Probably not. I didn't open. She led an Open with a 66. Course nobody really knew her at the time. Right? Okay, yeah, yeah, then went on to win the women's U.S. Open later that year I was gonna say she won the Open in New Jersey. And I think that that was her and I think we ended up changing the rules so that she could become a full member of the tour. You know, if anyone one on tour they can automatically become a member become a member? Yeah. Before that, that that rule didn't exist. So yeah, that's That's exactly right. Well, anyway, how did that first major field that change anything for you?

King, Betsy  05:38

Um, yeah, no, obviously winning, winning that. Yeah, it just kept the momentum going. And, as I say, you know, what I remember was just the polling the bunker shot and then the turnaround in the playoff where it looked again, like Paddy was going to win. I mean, I'm 90 yards from the hole and in in two when she's, you know, 20 feet from the hole and into So, you know, that just turned around.

Mike Gonzalez  06:09

It wasn't the last time you guys were gonna meet.

King, Betsy  06:13

Yeah, I think we are paired together and open that I won. We were paired in the last round together.

Mike Gonzalez  06:19

Yeah. Well, we'll talk about that. So finishing up an 87 Bruce, we got the McDonald's Championship at DuPont and DuPont was the site as some people will recall of eleven, straight LPGA Championship. So if you like DuPont Country Club, you might have been able to bag a few LPGA's there?

King, Betsy  06:38

Yeah, that was a again, I would stay I would sometimes drive back and forth from reading depending on my tee time. And then other times, I stayed with a family friend, you know, close by if I had an early time. And so it was a fun event for me because my parents would always come to watch that event. I did like the Golf Course there, McDonald's. That was it wasn't a major for a while it became a major later on. But at the time, even though it wasn't a major. For a number of years. It was our largest personal tour. It was kind of a fight between The Dinah Shore Nabisco, Dinah Shore and McDonald's as to which was the largest purse. So it definitely was a great event to win. And it was it was a lot a lot of fun for me to play and just because I always had a lot of support there from not only friends and family that came down from reading but also you know, because I was quote kind of local, I had a lot of fan support, too.

Devlin, Bruce  07:43

So you finish the year off that year at seven at the Atlantic City LPGA Classic are commonly known as ShopRite at Seaview Marriott Resort where you beat Nancy Lopez by three shots.

King, Betsy  07:56

Okay, um Yeah, that was another course that I liked a lot and see view it's an old Donald Ross course it's not particularly long but you have to keep the ball in play that's very small green so I always felt as though if you're a good iron player that that you'd be rewarded that week. And it was just one of my favorite courses to play on tour and I won there I won that event three times twice at sea view and once when we played it another course called Great Bay but it was it was a fun event again to play in and in the course that we played the Donald Ross course there it's a little bit linksy which I which I liked. Yeah, yeah.

Mike Gonzalez  08:45

Yeah, we go to 88 now and three more wins you open up again the second one at the Women's Kemper Open this time at Princeville on Kauii by one over Beth Daniel and you're not afraid to go lower? Yeah.

King, Betsy  09:03

I don't know did I play that I that might have been the year we had so much rain. I don't know that the first round got canceled entirely and then the next round we could only play 16 of the 18 holes because one hole was still you know to waterlogged and then the other hole that was beside it, it would have been logistically hard to get down there. So we just played a 16 round hole round of golf so that's amazing. Only 16 holes and then of course the last two rounds were then you know 18 holes each so it was a 52 hole event instead of only two holes so that might be why the score is so low there might

Mike Gonzalez  09:47

be that's why you open with a 63

King, Betsy  09:51

minus two holes and one was a par three and one was a par four that we that we skip the first day yeah Okay,

Mike Gonzalez  10:00

I should try that trying to break at some time.

Devlin, Bruce  10:03

Yeah, I like that idea.

King, Betsy  10:06

So and in fact, I think because of that camper move the tournament back to Maui the next year. The program had gotten canceled. We had to go put in the lobby of the hotel. They put together a putting course that we play. Yeah, yeah. So we went back to Maui the next year at why a layup at that end of the island.

Mike Gonzalez  10:28

Yeah. Well, you come back to Illinois, you must have liked the Rail third time this time over Margaret Ward, three wins in four years there.

King, Betsy  10:37

Okay. Okay. Yeah, I, you know, again, I, you know, when you're comfortable, you know, I was staying in housing right on the course by that time that people that as I said, and I also represented the rail for a little bit. And and so we had a party afterwards. That was one that my parents often came to to watch. I believe they saw all my wins there. So that was fun.

Mike Gonzalez  11:03

Yeah, yeah. And then you finish up 1988, the Cellular One Ping Golf Championship. And that was a win by one over Colleen Walker.

King, Betsy  11:13

Okay, yeah, I, I think I had a chip in coming down the stretch. One of the last two or three holes that maybe gave me the lead and then I ended up winning in that year we played at Riverside we, at one point we used to go back and forth between Columbia Edgewater and Riverside. And both of those courses were really nice. I always enjoyed playing in Portland, I the courses that we got to play there were really good and, and I enjoyed being there.

Mike Gonzalez  11:43

Yeah. Well, you know, Bruce, and I talk a lot with our guests about what's going on inside the ropes. Occasionally, we'll see gaps in careers, and ask people what happened? And the answer always is, well, life was happening. But for you know, breaks, I mean, you're just on a 10 year roll here, but describe what life was like you're now a major winner, you've got several wins in your belt, you're over a million dollars in career earnings at this point. So what was what was life like on tour? Right, then?

King, Betsy  12:12

Um, you know, it's golf's interesting, because even when you're playing well, you still feel like there's ups and downs, you feel like you're playing, you know, at times. You know, my best year was the year we're going to talk about next 1989. And you still, even at the top of your game, you don't feel like you play well all the time and kind of feel like you're always battling it. I mean, golf's such a challenging game that way. And for me, I felt often felt that way. I mean, there are a few days where you start on the range, and your timing just happens to work out really well. And you think gosh, I'm gonna play really well. And but then I've had it opposite where I fit it horribly on the range. And then, you know, got to the course and just turned around some Hey, why is golf that's why we love the game. I was playing at the truth playing golf this week with a guy that you know, he'd hit a good shot and he'd go, great game we fell in love with it is yeah,

Mike Gonzalez  13:25

but it can turn on you quite quickly.

King, Betsy  13:27

certainly can. I mean, I've seen players that I mean, even today, there's been a couple players that Yanni saying that was seemed unbeatable. And then next thing you know, she camp isn't playing well. I think that happened maybe with Ian Baker-Finch where you played so well. No, I did. And then it just went down the tubes quickly. You just never know. You just never know.

Mike Gonzalez  13:51

Yep. And we covered that in great detail with Ian on an earlier show. You know, yeah. He found himself chasing distance which a lot of people are trying to do these days.

King, Betsy  14:03

Very much so very much.

Devlin, Bruce  14:04

So. You mentioned that 89 was your best year six wins in 1989. Jamaica Classic,  Womens Kemper, U X, McDonald's, Nestle and of course your second major at the Women's U.S. Open but what a way to start you go down to where Tryall Golf Club down in Jamaica and you beat Nancy Lopez by one there.

King, Betsy  14:35

Yeah, that was that was kind of one of the ones where I was felt like I was struggling on the range. And and I remember distinctly standing over the putt on the first hole and the way they had they changed the way that we played the holes and so the first hole was a par three. And I didn't hit a particularly good shot and I had about a 40 foot putt. I remember thinking to myself, I wonder what kind of year this is going to be. And I made it for birdie shot 63 And you know, won the tournament. And I didn't feel very confident going in. I felt like I wasn't hitting it very well. I was kind of questioning. I remember praying, Lord, if You want me to do something else, let me know.

Devlin, Bruce  15:23

And yeah, really, that's amazing. But I

King, Betsy  15:27

and I also remember standing over that pod and saying what kind of years is going to be in and I made it. And I do remember being paired with Nancy. And actually, Ray, you know, night was Caddying for that week. So it was it was a great win for me. Certainly.

Mike Gonzalez  15:45

Yeah, it was going to be a player of the year years what it was going to be eating money winner and winning six, six times. So not a bad year. Interesting thought, though. early on.

King, Betsy  15:55

Yeah, yeah, very much. So. But yeah, and I had I was taught at the beginning, I think I won three out of the first eight events on the tour. And I said, Gosh, I have a I'm doing better than most of the baseball players in terms of my batting average. I'm three for eight, you know?

Mike Gonzalez  16:11

Yeah, that's right. It's pretty good. You had the second When was your third at the Women's Kemper open this again in Princeville. And this was by two over Jane Geddes. So you went back to back there.

King, Betsy  16:24

Okay. Yeah. And again, you know, once you play well, and of course, you certainly have confidence. But you know, principal had, at that time, there were three, nine hole courses. And I think we didn't necessarily play the same two nines each, each time. We switched, I believe, one of the years and but it was, you know, how can you get upset when you go to Hawaii, it was always a great playlist. And we because it was telecast on NBC, we had like, a one o'clock finish time on the weekend. So late really early, you know, so we could finish by, you know, six o'clock East Coast time. Right. So right, you know, done plane. And I remember, you know, going on a rafting trip, you know, in the afternoon, and because you're fine, you know, because you're done so early. I mean, even as a leader, you're teeing off at eight o'clock in the morning. You know, just because of the early finish for TV.

Mike Gonzalez  17:26

Wouldn't you both prefer that to just to get out of the box early in the morning rather than sitting around as a leader for seven, eight hours?

King, Betsy  17:34

Definitely, definitely. Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez  17:37

So the next one was down in Florida, Pasadena Golf cCub. This was the US  Golf Classic and a playoff with Lynn Adams, another playoff win.

King, Betsy  17:45

Right, right. And we actually had played at Pasadena when I first was on tour. And so that was one of the courses that the LPGA had played for years and years. It's a nice old Golf Course. I think it's been redone since we were there. But I remember, you know, playing Lynn in the playoff, they had actually redone one or two of the holes. And I believe the playoff was on one of the holes that they had redone at the time. And my brother at that time was going to law school at Stetson, which was right there. And he actually was renting an apartment that was on the Golf Course at Pasadena. It was right across from the law school. So I stayed with my brother that week. And it it was it was fun. It was fun. It

Devlin, Bruce  18:37

worked out pretty good. Yeah. Then you win when the McDonald's again for the second time at DuPont The Country Club. Beat Pat Bradley and Shirley Furlong by two shots.

King, Betsy  18:48

Right? I what I remember from the last round was that Shirley had a pretty quick start start. I think she birdied two of the first four holes and was leading. And then I was just trying to hang in there. And then as around went on, you know, surely faltered a little bit. And I had a couple of birdies somewhere along the way and managed to win.

Mike Gonzalez  19:10

So you liked the DuPont Country Club. You must have had some close finishes in the LPGA. I would have thought you might have had a couple of wins there. LPGA Championship but having been contested there 11 years in a row with Did you have some close calls there?

King, Betsy  19:25

You mean when it became the LPGA? Championship? Yeah, yeah, exactly. They ended up moving well, no, I guess I didn't. And then right at the end of my career, they moved the event to a course in Maryland called Bulle Rock. And so I played there, like just one year at the end of my career.

Mike Gonzalez  19:46

Yeah, I think they played let's see they played at DuPont beginning in 94. Like Laura Davies won the first time there and it was it was there through 2004

King, Betsy  20:01

Okay,

Mike Gonzalez  20:02

yeah and then and then went to Bulle Rock the following year the

King, Betsy  20:07

Like 2005 was the last year I played. So I did play Bulle Rock that year. And then I think they played there maybe a couple more years and then McDonald's left as a sponsor for the LPGA.

Mike Gonzalez  20:21

Okay. Well, you want to talk about the 1989 Women's U.S. Open at Indianwood Golf and Country Club.

King, Betsy  20:29

Sure. I love the Golf Course. It's they have two courses of Indianwood and we played the first which was a classical course. Very well defined, they had some of the tall grass or heather. So you know, you had to hit it offline to get it in there but it could happen that I remember the 18th Green was huge. I mean, I think it was 52 yards deep. And I I you know, had a good first round I think I shot 67 Maybe the first round and was dead leading or close to the lead. And then I know Patti and I were paired together going for the last round and I can't remember if she was leading by a stroke or I was but we were paired together the last day and I played pretty well and but it really wasn't over in my mind till I hit my second shot on the green on number 18 Because I think you know, I could have bogey the last hole and still won and once when I was on the green and regulation I knew I won I again I remember my parents were there at that one so that that made it special and the open. I don't know about you guys but as a kid I always said okay, here's the putt to win the US over in the open and everybody does it you know maybe Bruce for you it was a British Open I don't know British Open Yeah, so that's probably the neatest part about winning a U.S. Open is okay, I dreamed about doing this as a kid and here I am actually here I am.

Mike Gonzalez  22:15

Fun. So question. Was there water on the last hole?

King, Betsy  22:18

I don't remember there being water is water there. I don't think I don't

Mike Gonzalez  22:23

know. Okay, see you had a four shot lead. Or I'm sorry you one by four over Nancy Lopez. But we've we've asked a lot of guests this how big a lead do you need without water on the last hole to be fairly comfortable coming in?

King, Betsy  22:37

How big of a lead if there's waters that way? You know,

Mike Gonzalez  22:40

if there's no water if there's no water?

King, Betsy  22:42

Oh, I don't know. I mean, well,

Devlin, Bruce  22:46

two, three. Yeah.

King, Betsy  22:49

I mean, I think once you get on the green and regulation, you know, if you have a two shot lead or whatever you figure you're okay. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, you were

Mike Gonzalez  22:59

the co-leader with Patty after 54 You lead wire to wire but you kind of falter a little bit at the end of your Saturday round, which probably frustrated you better.

King, Betsy  23:09

Yeah, I think I remember that. I believe I bogey 17 was a par three. And I think I might have made a bogey there. And then I can't remember if I believe 16 was a pretty good par for I believe. And then 18 was the par for that just had a huge green as I mentioned with a lot of undulations but yeah, I don't know. You kind of try to put that out a out of your mind that that you do wrong, but

Mike Gonzalez  23:40

Well, you did because you lost four shots to par on the final four holes on Saturday. Okay, so now you're teamed up with Patty, you're tied in the opening round. And you go birdie par birdie birdie to start the round.

King, Betsy  23:56

Okay.

Mike Gonzalez  24:03

You remember much about the crowds because this was the largest Sunday crowd ever in the U.S. Open at the time.

King, Betsy  24:07

Really? Yeah. You know, I mean, it seemed like it was well attended. And then we went back there. Not too long after that, because I believe Patty won it when we went back there. He got

Mike Gonzalez  24:18

her second open when it was kind of poetic justice really

King, Betsy  24:22

thought at the time when she did win it. Yeah. And I think it was 1993 that we went back. So that was just like four years later. And I think one of the reasons that they went back was because it had been so successful in aid. Yeah, yeah.

Mike Gonzalez  24:37

You became the first in the LPGA to win $500,000 in a season coming out of that tournament. Okay. I mean, it was a lot of money at the time. It doesn't seem like much by today's standards. Does it know a lot of money then?

King, Betsy  24:51

Yeah. And I think I was first to 5 million and 6 million. You know, for career earnings, I believe and maybe seven but I'm not.

Mike Gonzalez  25:04

Well, as I mentioned, Nancy Lopez finishing second, this was her third runner up finish at the US Open an event that she never won.

King, Betsy  25:11

Yeah, yep. And I you know, I remember her finished to Alison Nicholas that was you know, in Portland where that she was really close and that and then she all she finished second as an amateur in Atlantic City, I believe to Sandra Palmer and that was the first U.S. Open that I'd ever played in. I played as an amateur. In fact, my real name's Mary Beth, and I was listed on the you know, the leader board will not lead a board but the content the scoring board is Marybeth King

Mike Gonzalez  25:44

Yeah, well, Bruce, she wasn't done winning yet yet and this year, or the year

Devlin, Bruce  25:49

No, not squash not Nestle World Whampionship but the Stouffer Pineisle Resort by one over Pat Bradley and Patti Sheehan. Wonder that's a good way to finish with your six victory.

King, Betsy  26:02

Yeah, very much. So when that one does have water on the last hole, I remember that. It's, you know, you hit your approach shot over the water park for it was that was a good Golf Course. very hilly, and challenging and the Nestle's World Championship. It had a limited field. It's right on the course was right on Lake Lanier. And so it was nice to play. In fact, I, I just played with two gentlemen from Atlanta this past week, and I found out they said, that course doesn't exist anymore. Okay. Yeah. It was developed and so there, it's it doesn't exist because it was pretty because it had a few holes that ran right along the lake. So

Mike Gonzalez  26:44

it's very well, actually a few years ago, Lake Lanier almost didn't exist,

King, Betsy  26:50

because it just got so low. Right.

Mike Gonzalez  26:52

It just dried up. Yeah. Virtually. I think it's come back a little bit now. But anyway. Well, let's go on to 1993 wins to have a majors. Yeah.

Devlin, Bruce  27:03

How about that? Started off at the Nabisco Dinah Shore? Where you one by two over Shirley Furlong and Kathy Postlewait.

King, Betsy  27:12

Okay. And I think that I don't think I played particularly well, the last day. I think I might have shut 74 or something in the last round. I don't know what it says but

Devlin, Bruce  27:23

75 actually,

King, Betsy  27:24

nine. Okay. Yeah, yeah, at least I kind of remember that. But I believe it might have been on Easter Sunday as well. Which would have made it special. But you know, just to win is to win, right? They never usually look at the scores. Less Are you? Are you Bruce? Are you, Mike? So?

Devlin, Bruce  27:47

Yeah, well, you started off that last day, you know, you lead by five after 54 holes. So you had a little bit of room there to play? Not so good. I'm still weighing what you did.

King, Betsy  27:58

Okay. And you know, at that tournament, the wind was such a factor two more the first two days because usually on the weekend, the tee times again, because the TV were earlier, it was earlier, it was two or three o'clock finish in the afternoon. But you know, if the wind came up that that often determined how the scoring went, and the predominant when it played into your face on 17 and 18. Always on the finish there. So that that made it a challenge.

Mike Gonzalez  28:33

Yeah. You know, as we talked to some of the earlier pioneers on the LPGA Tour, those that played the 50's, 60s the Titleholders was their Masters, okay, this sort of became your Masters didn't it?

King, Betsy  28:45

Very much so because, you know, we're on the same course every year. It probably was the most well known course that we played on like that the fans were aware of and, you know, early on with Dinah's name attached to it it kind of you know, everybody just said The Dinah or The Dinah Shore. In fact, when I came on tour to qualify for that event, you had to finish in the top three of the tournament was how you got in. And it didn't matter what number you were on the money list or whatever it was, you had to finish in the top three of a tournament to get in. So I mean, people would kind of choke coming down the stretch when they change the top three and or somebody did it. It was always like, Hey, you're in Dinah. Congratulations. So yeah, it was definitely a very special event to get into.

Devlin, Bruce  29:37

Yeah, the next victory for you had to be really, really something very special. You played very consistent golf, the U.S. Women's Open in 1990. But Patti Sheehan jumped out in that tournament and led by nine shots over you, yet you come back and win the tournament. Yeah, fond memories. 

King, Betsy  29:59

Yeah. I don't know, if she? Well, the circumstances were the most unusual that I played in on the tour. And I'm sure she mentioned this, but we played 36 holes the last day. Because of all the weather delays, I actually finished my second round Friday night, late, because there were a range delays. And but half the field had not finished their second round. So Saturday, I didn't play at all. And the other half of the field finished their second round. And then Sunday, we teed it up for 36 holes. And because we did that they didn't repair between rounds, they didn't have time to do it. I mean, you came off right or so you had about 40 minutes between your third and fourth round. And so I finished probably close to an hour before Patti's group came in. And, you know, looking back at it had that been a normal event where she had displayed the third round, you know, she didn't finish well, she could have gone home, slept on it, regrouped and come back for the fourth round. But because of the circumstances, she didn't have the opportunity to do that, but just had to go back back out and keep playing i I'm sure that was a big factor in how it worked out with me winning.

Mike Gonzalez  31:22

Yeah, it was, it was a crushing defeat at the time for her. Because the circumstances I think you were 11 back with 15 to play. But by her telling, given the circumstances, the day, the heat and everything else, she just wasn't to a point yet where she was as focused on how to take care of your body, you know, throughout a long day like that, and just literally ran out of gas.

King, Betsy  31:47

Yeah. And then plus, the other thing is, as I say, if you have a bad round, and then normally you can go practice, recoup and come back the next day. And you know, she didn't have that opportunity. So it was a very unusual circumstance. And it's the only time in my 28 years on tour that I played 36 holes in one day. So

Mike Gonzalez  32:11

Well Bruce, Betsy joined some pretty heady company there in going back-to-back and

Devlin, Bruce  32:18

Yeah,  joined many World Golf Hall of Famer members, Stacy, Berning, Caponi and Wright, who had won two U.S. Opens consecutively at the time. So one of one of only five people to do that.

King, Betsy  32:34

Okay. Yeah, yeah, you know, well, what that brings is the next year, which was you know, you just get a lot of attention because of the the opportunity to do the three in a row. And unfortunately, you know, I didn't I didn't do that. In fact, I almost missed the cut. But I came back and had to get around some the weekend and finished well, but Meg won the neck the next year in Texas. So that's a hard thing to do. I mean, Hollis winning three times periods is a great record to say. And I was paired with her and one of her wins the last day and, and you know, the open courses are always challenging. If you when I look at that, I think that if I were to tell someone one word to live by the week of the US Open, it would be patience.

Devlin, Bruce  33:25

Yeah. Very good. Well, you finish the year off at the JAL Big Apple Classic at Wykagyl Country Club. Where you one by one over Ayako Okamoto

King, Betsy  33:41

Yep, that was. Yeah, that was one of my favorite courses that we played was Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle. And I won twice there. And that it just it had a really great set of par threes. It's an old Tillinghast course, I believe, and, you know, a little bit up and down. And I had small greens. I just really love love the Golf Course. And so when he when you have that going, you know, you're gonna play well.

Mike Gonzalez  34:15

Ayako Okamoto had a birthday yesterday and you got her by one the next year too there.

King, Betsy  34:20

Okay, well, one of those years. I shot 63 On Saturday, and I don't that

Devlin, Bruce  34:26

was was that was 1990. Yeah, that was the first year you won

King, Betsy  34:31

that was probably the best round of golf that I played on the tour. I mean, I shut 63 at the Rail but the Wykagyl was much more challenging course. And then I was paired the last day there with Beth Daniel. And we were kind of going neck and neck and then death bogeyed. 17 and 18 is was a par five where you teed off you had a kind of I hit three wood and you lay up just short of a huge hill. And then the second shots of blind shot over the hill. I remember I had to 47 to the hole, hit five woods to make sure I got it up over the hill and it caught the downslope. I mean, I can't see this, but it goes on the green seven feet from the hole and I make it for Eagle. And so that of course really had the best round of my career and probably the best shot of my career that the five would that you know, went to 47. So, yeah, anyway,

Mike Gonzalez  35:29

we've heard a lot about that hill on the show. Yeah.

King, Betsy  35:33

You know, it's hard to line up because you literally can only see the sky. So you're kind of trying to figure out okay, where am I starting this and it's a really good course it's has a redo since we've been there a Coore Crenshaw redo, and actually I went back we had a Golf Fore Africa event there, so I've seen it and they did a nice job. They cleared out a lot of things. But as I say it was one of my favorite courses on tour.

Mike Gonzalez  35:58

Thank you for listening to another episode of for the good of the game. And please, wherever you listen to your podcast on Apple and Spotify, if you like what you hear, please subscribe. Spread the word. Tell your friends until we tee it up again. With the good of the game. So long, everybody

Music playing  36:20