King Now the Ruler of LPGA : Golf: She has accepted the fact that Nancy Lopez, who turned professional the same year, is a more popular player.

Betsy King has been playing professional golf long enough that five years ago a set of her famous-label irons sold for $25 at an Irvine garage sale. Unfortunately, her swing didn’t come with the clubs.

So, while some have struggled to learn how to swing a King, few know more about King than that she has a good swing. This is partly because she started on the LPGA tour in 1977, the same year as one of the most popular golfers of all time, Nancy Lopez.

Lopez was a star from the start, winning nine tournaments in 1978 and eight in ’79. She had 27 victories before King earned her first.

Lopez not only won more, she smiled more and talked more than the quiet, shy King. Then Lopez married a baseball player and had a couple of babies.

And King? “I had a very good rookie year,” she said Wednesday at the Los Coyotes Country Club in Buena Park, where the LPGA tournament begins today. “And it would have won rookie of the year in a lot of other years. But there I am, in the same rookie class as Nancy. It’s timing, and it’s obviously not something you can control.”

From 1977 through ‘83, Lopez earned more than $1 million, King $328,839. To date, Lopez has 42 career victories to King’s 23.

“I guess I resented it somewhat, but not anymore,” King said. “Now I cheer for everyone, and it feels good.”

Since 1984, King has not only earned $771,000 more than Lopez, she has finished first or second on the money list four times to Lopez’s one. She ranks ahead of the third-place Lopez on the career money list by $50,000. “The purses are bigger now,” King said.

Last season was King’s best as she won six tournaments and $654,000. That was the most money ever earned in one season on the LPGA tour until Beth Daniel broke the record this year. This season has been nearly as good. She has won three tournaments, including two majors, and is third on the money list with $470,760.

And lately, King seems to be talking more.

When asked recently how she felt about public acceptance of women’s professional golf, she complained about the media, who rarely write about her.

“Part of (the problem) is the media is dominated by males and--I hate to say this--they often send the middle-of-the-barrel reporters to cover our tournament, or guys who do hockey in the winter,” King told the Hartford Courant.

“Once last year, after I’d won four events, someone asked me, ‘What kind of year you having?’ Ever hear a pitcher with a 20-4 record asked what kind of year he’s having?”

Camera crews were stacked up four deep behind King and Lopez Wednesday before they began play in the pro-amateur tournament at Los Coyotes. By 11:40 a.m., King had given six interviews.

“I know I am getting more fan recognition now,” King said. “Last year made a big difference, My first good year was in 1984, and I played well for a few years since then. And it’s been interesting that quite a few of the wins that I have had have been on television. All three this year were televised, and at least four or five of my six wins were on television last year. That’s your only chance at a really big audience.”

King said the turning point in her career actually came in 1980, her worst year.

“Several things happened that year--at the beginning of the year I became a Christian, and then went on to have my worst year--but that has helped me the most,” King said.

“Before I was a Christian, I put my self-worth on how I did on the golf course. I don’t have to do that anymore. And with that perspective, it allows me to be bolder in my play.”

At the end of 1980, King hired Ed Oldfield as her coach and credits much of her success to him.

Now, at 35, the most famous female golfer from Reading, Pa., is learning how to deal with all of the increased attention.

“After you do 100 interviews, you do get better at it,” she said.

LPGA Notes

Pat Bradley , No. 4 this season on the money list with $439,076, has 26 career victories and needs four more to get into the LPGA Hall of Fame. She would be the first player to enter the Hall since Nancy Lopez in 1987. Bradley is the No. 1 career money leader with $3,305,105, followed by Betsy King with $2,940,454 and Lopez with $2,885,221. Bradley is also the only golfer to have won all four modern majors, three of them in 1986.

After the top four--Beth Daniel with $661,578, Patty Sheehan with $640,751, King with $470,760 and Bradley--there’s a big drop to No. 5 Rosie Jones with $319,391. Lopez had this explanation Wednesday of why the top four players are so far ahead: “With players of that quality, once they get on a roll, they have the confidence and are just going to go ahead. Once one is doing it, the others fight to keep up.” . . . Daniel and Sheehan are not playing this week.

Admission to the tournament is $10 today and Friday, $12 Saturday and Sunday. Parking is at Hughes Aircraft Co. on Melvern and Gilbert avenues, and a shuttle is provided. There is no parking available at the course. . . . A field of 144 players will tee off today, including Amy Alcott at 9 a.m., Juli Inkster at 9:10, Lopez and Bradley at 11:50, and King and Jan Stephenson at 12:30 p.m.