Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 27, 1995                   TAG: 9506270068
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: SOMERS POINT, N.J.                                 LENGTH: Medium

LPGA HALL MAY LOWER STANDARDS

Now that Betsy King has earned her way into the LPGA Hall of Fame, the association expects to make the criteria for others to join her more realistic.

The change could happen within two years, outgoing LPGA commissioner Charles Mechem Jr. said, but the final decision is up to the players. And most of them say the requirements are outdated because the game has grown so much.

``In today's world, meeting the existing criteria is a virtual impossibility,'' Mechem said.

King's victory Sunday in the ShopRite LPGA Classic gave her victory No.30, one of the requirements for induction, but renewed debate about what it takes to make the Hall. King won her 29th event in November 1993.

To gain entry, a player must post 30 victories, including two major tournaments; 35 victories with one major; or 40 with no major titles.

``I definitely feel they should change the standard,'' said King, 39. ``I think the idea of having an objective criteria is good, but I believe it needs to be changed because of the number of good players.''

``I believe you want to reward the best players from each era. I think it's unfairly slanted to the people who played on the tour a long time ago.''

One possibility is establishing a system under which golfers earn points for winning tournaments, leading the tour in prize money and being named player of the year.

King, who joined the tour in 1977, said the pressure to win one more haunted her during the 20-month drought.

``I think it is pretty tough. I have mixed emotions about it,'' King said. ``I think it's a standard that everybody can shoot for. I know that was the reasoning for making the criteria, so it would be objective, not a popularity vote.''

Beth Daniel, who has 31 victories and one major title, said the standards were set when there were 40 or 50 players competing. The ShopRite field had 144 players.

Before the tournament, Daniel discussed the Hall of Fame with Amy Alcott, who needs one victory to qualify.

``Eventually, they're going to have to change the qualifications,'' Daniel said Sunday. ``When they do, Amy Alcott and I are in, no question.''

That, too, poses a dilemma, Mechem said.

``One of the reasons that there has been reluctance to make the changes as soon as some people might have liked is that Amy Alcott, Betsy King and Beth Daniel didn't want to get in based on a change in the rules,'' said Mechem, who will be succeeded as commissioner by Jim Ritts on Jan.1, 1996. ``It was everybody's feeling to let time go by to see which of those players are going to get in.''