Weeks After Making ‘Forced Equity’ Accusations Against Former Tour, LPGA Veteran Revisits 36-Year-Old Unfulfilled Dream: ‘Scratch That Itch…’

In a recent podcast interview, 58-year-old Dottie Pepper, a six-time Solheim Cup veteran and 17-time LPGA Tour winner, expressed her concerns about what she calls “forced equity” in the LPGA. She criticized the LPGA’s alleged practice of altering golf course par values to ensure that each player can reach one of the par five holes every day.

This is not the first time Pepper has been involved in controversy. She made a controversial comment — choking freakin dogs — in 2007 while commentating on the American team during the Solheim Cup. She is in the news again for revealing her backup plan.

Chasing old dreams after 36 long years

Dottie Pepper is an accomplished woman who has won two major championships and a total of 17 LPGA Tour events. Clearly, her golfing skills are excellent. However, she was never entirely reliant on golf alone.

In a recent Twitter post, Pepper spoke about how she never placed all her eggs in one basket and had a backup plan in case her golf career didn’t take off. She dreamt of aviation 36 years ago.

She gave herself two years to earn an LPGA tour card. As we all know, she did end up having a successful career in golf. Now, at the age of 58, she is fulfilling old dreams. She wrote: “I began to scratch that itch with my first flying lesson.”

The ace golfer’s backup plan was aviation. She also mentioned in the tweet that she recently took a flying lesson to pursue a dream she had several years ago. She described it as a phenomenal experience and thanked her instructor, Phil!

Dottie Pepper and concerns of “forced equity”

Dottie Pepper’s critique of “forced equity” in the LPGA stems from her concern for the sport’s authenticity. With so much experience in professional golf, she holds a significant perspective. Pepper is wary of alleged alterations to golf course par values designed to ensure players can consistently reach par fives.

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She fears such changes artificially inflate scores, potentially detracting from the genuine competitive spirit. In her view, this practice amounts to “doctoring the meritocracy,” potentially obscuring true talent and skill.

While the comments made by Pepper stem from a good heart, she does nonetheless still create a stir and a forum for debate and discussion on the matter at hand.

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