Not Just Horsing Around
The Valley of the Stars Championship won’t be the same for defending champion Dale Eggeling, and not only because the name of the event has changed.
The veteran of 23 years on the LPGA tour warmed up a few days before the tournament last year by strapping in behind the wheel of a 725-horsepower supercomp dragster, reaching speeds of nearly 100 mph in seven seconds.
Eggeling, 44, would love to rev her engine the same way, but the track in Pomona isn’t available this week.
“I’m bummed out,” she said, laughing. “I have the need for speed.”
Life is less than a serious proposition for Eggeling, whose amiable and fun-loving nature makes her popular among her peers on the tour.
But her mirth shouldn’t be mistaken for a lack of motivation. Eggeling’s clear goals and competitive nature enabled her to earn a career-high $277,217 in 1998.
Her early season victory in the then-Los Angeles Women’s Championship at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale was worth $97,500, the springboard for a year that included five top-10 finishes.
“When I see results it gives me a kick,” she said. “Winning at Oakmont made me concentrate and work harder the rest of the year. I finally made changes to my swing I knew I had to make.”
Eggeling, who for most of her career played more on feel and natural ability than attention to mechanics, worked to develop a bigger shoulder turn, “making my swing one piece instead of a lot of moving parts.”
Her renewed dedication led to newfound success--Eggeling’s victory last year was only the third of her career--and rekindled a childhood aspiration.
“The better I play, the more I dream about retirement,” she said. “I’m working to get a horse farm.
“I love all breeds of horses. I wouldn’t mind having English and Western horses. I’m attached to paint horses and I’m looking to breed my mare to get a paint baby. I love hunters, jumpers, and I’d like to get into dressage. You name it, I love it.”
Growing up in Savannah, Ga., Eggeling rode on a nearby farm owned by her grandmother and on a large ranch in Oklahoma owned by her other set of grandparents.
“I had enough time for riding and playing golf,” she said.
By the age of 11 she was beating most of the women at her golf club and they began excluding her from tournaments.
“That was OK, because I just got back into horses,” she said.
Eggeling boards her horses about 15 miles from the Tampa, Fla., residence she shares with her husband of 17 years, Mike, and 10-year-old son, Dustin.
She anticipates the day when she can walk out her back door into the stables.
“Just a little horse spread, that’s all it will take,” she said. “That’s what keeps me motivated.”
Not that she has ever slacked off. Since 1978, Eggeling has played in at least 25 events every year except 1988--the year Dustin was born.
She won the Boston Five Classic in 1980 and the Oldsmobile Classic in 1995, her best money year until 1998. Eggeling earned $261,752 in ‘95, ranking 19th on the tour. She has earned more than $125,000 the last seven years and eight of the last nine after never reaching six figures in her first 14 years.
“Dale absolutely is playing better, she is really striking the ball well,” said Terry-Jo Myers, a friend of Eggeling and the champion at Oakmont in 1997. “It took her longer to mature than with most players, and I mean that in a totally good way.
“She’s a fun girl. I love her personality. She’s never lacking for a good joke. You see her on the driving range and know that if you talk to her, you will leave laughing.
“But when she began to realize her talent, it made her work harder.”
The victory last February was a just reward. Eggeling sank a 15-foot putt for a birdie on the first playoff hole to defeat Hiromi Kobayashi.
“That was the highlight of the year,” Eggeling said. “Especially that putt. I was thinking, ‘God, just get it close.’ ”
The playoff was fun, and it reminded Eggeling that nothing is as rewarding as playing well. She no longer takes her game for granted, a feeling underscored by impending arthroscopic knee surgery.
Eggeling has torn cartilage in her right knee, a condition that has bothered her for several years.
“I’m going to get that cleaned up in April,” she said. “I put it off so I could defend this championship. I should be walking in about four days and playing soon after.
“I’ve got to continue until I get to my goal. I’m going to play as long as I’m able.”
Degree of Difficulty
* The 6,276-yard Oakmont Country Club course in Glendale is tough enough for the LPGA players in the Valley of the Stars Championship, which runs Friday through Sunday, without throwing in difficult weather conditions. Page 13
Home Cooking
* Playing in the Valley of the Stars Championship is a homecoming for Emilee Klein, a Notre Dame High graduate from Studio City, whose father, Bob, will be her caddie. Page 13
* Hole-by-hole breakdown of Oakmont Country Club, Page 13
