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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With Tara Gravel

Aired May 24, 2003 - 12:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk to Tara Gravel, she's a senior editor at "Golf" magazine and joins us now from our New York studios. Good to see you.
TARA GRAVEL, "GOLF" MAGAZINE: Hi, Fredricka, how are you?

WHITFIELD: I'm doing good. OK. So she didn't make the cut, she didn't quite live out her dream on the PGA like she wanted to. But certainly, she has to be applauded for at least beating out at least 11 men on the circuit.

GRAVEL: That's right.

WHITFIELD: And has to feel proud about that, don't you think?

GRAVEL: Oh, definitely. Definitely. And there are some pretty good players in those 11 men, too. And even the men -- you know -- can have a rough round like she did yesterday. So...

WHITFIELD: She painfully kind of broke down as she finally revealed what she was feeling, particularly at this defeat. How do you kind of evaluate those tears? Certainly, some personal disappointment, and do you suppose just the pressure that came with having such a huge legion of folks following her, the clicks of the cameras, and she probably feels a bit disappointed for women in sports who had high expectations.

GRAVEL: Definitely. This was much more pressure than she's ever faced before, even in the majors on the LPGA tour. And I just think it was a mixture of relief, of disappointment. Like she said, not wanting it to end. None of us, especially us women athletes, wanted it to end for her. We wanted to see her play this weekend.

WHITFIELD: She kind of reevaluated her tears a little later, saying that, you know, she was showing her tears because she says she really didn't want it to end, and that so many of the guys, sans Vijay Singh, were so supportive of her right there on the green.

GRAVEL: That's right. I mean, I think she had a great day on Thursday, which won her tons of fans. And she smiled even through the disappointment yesterday. So all around, she's coming out on top. She's won legions of new fans because of how she did this week. So I think it's great that those men who did speak out and maybe were a little negative before were good enough to go up to her afterwards and apologize or say that they were proud of her. WHITFIELD: She even said, quote, "I've climbed as high as I can, and it's worth every step of it. I don't regret anything I did. I'm proud of the way I've played." Yet at the same time, she's saying she's not likely to pursue yet another PGA stab.

GRAVEL: Actually, I was a little surprised to hear that. I think it was so exciting this week, that a lot of people want to see her maybe give it another shot. I'm wondering why she didn't leave the door open a little bit, but then she always has said that the LPGA's her tour, she's dedicated to the LPGA. She's eligible for the Hall of Fame on the LPGA at the end of this season. That's where she wants to win more majors, that's where she's setting her goals, so that's where her focus is on right now.

WHITFIELD: Now, among the critics, there were some who said that she was kind of slamming the women on the LPGA by saying that, you know, because of her record, of having so many wins, that perhaps she wasn't getting the competition that she wanted, that she was really seeking or craved, and that's why she wanted to play against the men. Well, now she has got to go back and play among many of those ladies who were critics of her. What do you suppose that reception is going to be like?

GRAVEL: I think it is going to be great. I think after what she went through this week, how she held up under the pressure, with the exception of having a tough round yesterday, I think they have to be behind her and they have to support her, and she's even come out and said that she wants to go back there and share this knowledge with those women.

This was a quest for knowledge for her, and she came out of this week with a lot of the knowledge that she'll be able to use in the LPGA tournaments.

WHITFIELD: All right, Tara Gravel, thanks very much, appreciate it.

GRAVEL: Thanks, Fredricka.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 24, 2003 - 12:50   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk to Tara Gravel, she's a senior editor at "Golf" magazine and joins us now from our New York studios. Good to see you.
TARA GRAVEL, "GOLF" MAGAZINE: Hi, Fredricka, how are you?

WHITFIELD: I'm doing good. OK. So she didn't make the cut, she didn't quite live out her dream on the PGA like she wanted to. But certainly, she has to be applauded for at least beating out at least 11 men on the circuit.

GRAVEL: That's right.

WHITFIELD: And has to feel proud about that, don't you think?

GRAVEL: Oh, definitely. Definitely. And there are some pretty good players in those 11 men, too. And even the men -- you know -- can have a rough round like she did yesterday. So...

WHITFIELD: She painfully kind of broke down as she finally revealed what she was feeling, particularly at this defeat. How do you kind of evaluate those tears? Certainly, some personal disappointment, and do you suppose just the pressure that came with having such a huge legion of folks following her, the clicks of the cameras, and she probably feels a bit disappointed for women in sports who had high expectations.

GRAVEL: Definitely. This was much more pressure than she's ever faced before, even in the majors on the LPGA tour. And I just think it was a mixture of relief, of disappointment. Like she said, not wanting it to end. None of us, especially us women athletes, wanted it to end for her. We wanted to see her play this weekend.

WHITFIELD: She kind of reevaluated her tears a little later, saying that, you know, she was showing her tears because she says she really didn't want it to end, and that so many of the guys, sans Vijay Singh, were so supportive of her right there on the green.

GRAVEL: That's right. I mean, I think she had a great day on Thursday, which won her tons of fans. And she smiled even through the disappointment yesterday. So all around, she's coming out on top. She's won legions of new fans because of how she did this week. So I think it's great that those men who did speak out and maybe were a little negative before were good enough to go up to her afterwards and apologize or say that they were proud of her. WHITFIELD: She even said, quote, "I've climbed as high as I can, and it's worth every step of it. I don't regret anything I did. I'm proud of the way I've played." Yet at the same time, she's saying she's not likely to pursue yet another PGA stab.

GRAVEL: Actually, I was a little surprised to hear that. I think it was so exciting this week, that a lot of people want to see her maybe give it another shot. I'm wondering why she didn't leave the door open a little bit, but then she always has said that the LPGA's her tour, she's dedicated to the LPGA. She's eligible for the Hall of Fame on the LPGA at the end of this season. That's where she wants to win more majors, that's where she's setting her goals, so that's where her focus is on right now.

WHITFIELD: Now, among the critics, there were some who said that she was kind of slamming the women on the LPGA by saying that, you know, because of her record, of having so many wins, that perhaps she wasn't getting the competition that she wanted, that she was really seeking or craved, and that's why she wanted to play against the men. Well, now she has got to go back and play among many of those ladies who were critics of her. What do you suppose that reception is going to be like?

GRAVEL: I think it is going to be great. I think after what she went through this week, how she held up under the pressure, with the exception of having a tough round yesterday, I think they have to be behind her and they have to support her, and she's even come out and said that she wants to go back there and share this knowledge with those women.

This was a quest for knowledge for her, and she came out of this week with a lot of the knowledge that she'll be able to use in the LPGA tournaments.

WHITFIELD: All right, Tara Gravel, thanks very much, appreciate it.

GRAVEL: Thanks, Fredricka.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com