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Interview With Amy Alcott

Aired September 30, 2002 - 14:51   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Women golfers on the roles at Augusta. Will it happen? "USA Today" reports members of the club are now getting letters from activists.
So far, Augusta has taken a stiff position to the pressure, but many people in the professional golf world are calling for a compromise.

Hall-of-famer Amy Alcott has played Augusta. She knows the issues on both sides and has some insights into this controversy.

Amy, good to see you.

AMY ALCOTT, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Hi Kyra, how are you?

PHILLIPS: Good, glad -- glad to be able to talk to you about this. I know its a tough discussion.

All right, first of all, we really don't know if this has ever even been discussed at Augusta or not, correct? It could have been.

ALCOTT: Well, yes, I mean, nobody knows. Maybe over the last several years, this has been an issue that really has been discussed, and we just don't know about it. I think that's where maybe Augusta might be getting a hard knock. You know, there are clubs out there that have much more restrictive policies than Augusta does, where women have to put on their shoes out in a parking lot.

So, you know, it's a very controversial issue, and you know, I think that it's a timely one. It's hard to think that we're discussing this in the year 2000.

PHILLIPS: You bring up a good point. So, let's talk quality, OK?

More women are playing golf, you can tell me about that. There are a lot of women that are running companies, big time CEOs making millions of dollars more than other men, and you know what? Quite frankly, as a lot of women smoking it off the tee a lot farther than these men can hit. I know you can do it.

ALCOTT: Yes, you can too, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Oh, yeah right. Thank you for that plug. But seriously, let's talk about the equality issue here.

ALCOTT: Well, you know, that's a big issue. You know, nowadays more and more women are playing golf. Sometimes even the golf manufacturers don't know how to keep up and market to these women. It's a booming business.

The LPGA tour is its own viable entity. It's not compared with men's golf as much. You know, this is not a new issue and there are women running big companies, and women just in general playing golf that, you know, deserve the right to, you know, participate and have the opportunity to play at these wonderful golf courses that we have.

And I -- you know, there are private clubs, and you could go to that and you could say, private clubs are allowed to do what they want to do. Women have the right to go and start their own private country club. But, you know, I think Augusta is kind of a kingpin here because a big tournament with commercial sponsors is involved, and, you know, they're putting in money and they market to women, and here's a club that doesn't allow women to play, so, you know, I think that -- I think that really women are out there, they're playing the game, and, you know, they deserve more chances than they're getting.

PHILLIPS: And you've played Augusta a number of times. You get out there and you play with these -- gentlemen shall I say. And you feel comfortable. They feel comfortable. You know, describe it to me. Tell me about it.

ALCOTT: Well, it was really the highlight of my life. I've had the chance to play there twice. I was treated with absolute respect with, you know, with dignity and I had a really -- a wonderful time there.

It was great. And, you know, It's just -- I had a hole-in-one on the 16th hole.

PHILLIPS: I was going say, you're being very humble, Amy.

ALCOTT: It couldn't have been a greater experience and I am -- here I am, you know, a U.S. Open winner, a hall of famer, it would be great, if -- if women who really appreciate the game and love the game and I think that that's something that Augusta looks for, is somebody who truly loves and honors the game, would be invited in with open arms.

PHILLIPS: So if they asked you to be a member would you do it, Amy?

Can you hear me OK, Amy?

I think we lost her.

You got me? We'll get her I-feedback in there. Can you hear me, Amy?

ALCOTT: I think we lost something here.

PHILLIPS: Are you with me?

Oh, we lost our IFB. Well, we'll come back to that. If we get Amy back up, we'll find out if indeed she would become a member if asked.

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 September 30, 2002 - 14:51   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Women golfers on the roles at Augusta. Will it happen? "USA Today" reports members of the club are now getting letters from activists.
So far, Augusta has taken a stiff position to the pressure, but many people in the professional golf world are calling for a compromise.

Hall-of-famer Amy Alcott has played Augusta. She knows the issues on both sides and has some insights into this controversy.

Amy, good to see you.

AMY ALCOTT, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Hi Kyra, how are you?

PHILLIPS: Good, glad -- glad to be able to talk to you about this. I know its a tough discussion.

All right, first of all, we really don't know if this has ever even been discussed at Augusta or not, correct? It could have been.

ALCOTT: Well, yes, I mean, nobody knows. Maybe over the last several years, this has been an issue that really has been discussed, and we just don't know about it. I think that's where maybe Augusta might be getting a hard knock. You know, there are clubs out there that have much more restrictive policies than Augusta does, where women have to put on their shoes out in a parking lot.

So, you know, it's a very controversial issue, and you know, I think that it's a timely one. It's hard to think that we're discussing this in the year 2000.

PHILLIPS: You bring up a good point. So, let's talk quality, OK?

More women are playing golf, you can tell me about that. There are a lot of women that are running companies, big time CEOs making millions of dollars more than other men, and you know what? Quite frankly, as a lot of women smoking it off the tee a lot farther than these men can hit. I know you can do it.

ALCOTT: Yes, you can too, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Oh, yeah right. Thank you for that plug. But seriously, let's talk about the equality issue here.

ALCOTT: Well, you know, that's a big issue. You know, nowadays more and more women are playing golf. Sometimes even the golf manufacturers don't know how to keep up and market to these women. It's a booming business.

The LPGA tour is its own viable entity. It's not compared with men's golf as much. You know, this is not a new issue and there are women running big companies, and women just in general playing golf that, you know, deserve the right to, you know, participate and have the opportunity to play at these wonderful golf courses that we have.

And I -- you know, there are private clubs, and you could go to that and you could say, private clubs are allowed to do what they want to do. Women have the right to go and start their own private country club. But, you know, I think Augusta is kind of a kingpin here because a big tournament with commercial sponsors is involved, and, you know, they're putting in money and they market to women, and here's a club that doesn't allow women to play, so, you know, I think that -- I think that really women are out there, they're playing the game, and, you know, they deserve more chances than they're getting.

PHILLIPS: And you've played Augusta a number of times. You get out there and you play with these -- gentlemen shall I say. And you feel comfortable. They feel comfortable. You know, describe it to me. Tell me about it.

ALCOTT: Well, it was really the highlight of my life. I've had the chance to play there twice. I was treated with absolute respect with, you know, with dignity and I had a really -- a wonderful time there.

It was great. And, you know, It's just -- I had a hole-in-one on the 16th hole.

PHILLIPS: I was going say, you're being very humble, Amy.

ALCOTT: It couldn't have been a greater experience and I am -- here I am, you know, a U.S. Open winner, a hall of famer, it would be great, if -- if women who really appreciate the game and love the game and I think that that's something that Augusta looks for, is somebody who truly loves and honors the game, would be invited in with open arms.

PHILLIPS: So if they asked you to be a member would you do it, Amy?

Can you hear me OK, Amy?

I think we lost her.

You got me? We'll get her I-feedback in there. Can you hear me, Amy?

ALCOTT: I think we lost something here.

PHILLIPS: Are you with me?

Oh, we lost our IFB. Well, we'll come back to that. If we get Amy back up, we'll find out if indeed she would become a member if asked.

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