Pepper has high hopes for farewell tour

She says the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic fell on the wrong part of the schedule.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
VIENNA -- Dottie Pepper has always enjoyed playing in the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic and feels bad that this will be her final appearance here as a player.
Pepper announced recently that she is retiring from active competition on tour and hopes to move into the television broadcast booth.
This will be Pepper's 10th appearance in this tournament and she's enjoyed great success, winning over $157,000 in her nine previous tries, including a second-place finish in 1998. She also tied for third in 1994 and finished tied for 17th place last year.
"There is just something about this tournament that makes you want to come back," she said. "The fans are tremendous, the volunteers are great and it's fun to be here. I'm going to miss it."
Final decision
Pepper has been plagued with injuries over the past two seasons, but she said that this year was the signal that turned her to retirement.
"The neck injury early this year got me thinking pretty good about quitting, but then Tuesday at the U.S. Women's Open, after I had a spinal tap that really sealed my decision," she said.
She said that the injuries have hampered her preparations to get ready for a tournament.
"Even this week I really haven't prepared like I normally would for an event and I just don't want to go out there week after week and play when I haven't properly prepared for it," she added.
Pepper still believes that she can make a run for this week's tournament title.
"I know this golf course and experience is always a big factor in a tournament," she added. "I hit it pretty good Wednesday in the pro-am and if I had made a few putts it could have been a great round."
She's also not surprised at the field this week.
"The reason that everyone is not here is because of the four previous weeks," she added. "This is the one real poor spot in the schedule. Everybody's had it. Columbus had it, Toledo had it and now here."
Two majors -- the LPGA Championship and the U.S. Women's Open -- plus the Canadian Open, have been held in the last five weeks. And the Women's British Open is in two weeks.
"It has nothing to do with the town, the golf course or the tournament," Pepper added. "It is unfortunately just a bad spot in the schedule and there is nothing anybody can do about it."
Tested talent
Pepper said that the younger players on tour are coming in much better prepared to play than when her era began.
"The tour is in great hands," she said. "The kids are better coached, in better condition, the fundamentals are a lot better than my generation. They hit it longer and higher and are just better players that are ready to play when they come out here."
Pepper said that she would love to be in contention and possibly win one of her final tournaments this year.
"That would be the ultimate," she added. "To get into contention and finish the job in one of them. I don't care which one, but I want to get my game in shape enough so I can go have fun the last six weeks and you never know, something strange can happen."
She also said that it would be a big loss if this tournament did not come back next season.
"It would be very sad to lose this tournament because the area has really become something," she said. "The volunteers are incredible. I have played with the guys from Mahoning Valley and all you need is a $1.5 million sponsor. Someone needs to step up and say it's a great thing for this community."
Pepper said that she would not object to coming back to make a pitch for a sponsor to keep this event here.
"I would be glad to come back," she said. "There have been a lot of tournaments that have come and gone over the 17 years I've been on tour. When you have a tournament that has been around as long as this one has, you really hate to see it go."
mollica@vindy.com