Robert Crane cornered the constantly touring Jan Stephenson at her home in Fort Worth, Texas. He reports: "Besides being one the top money earners on the women's golf tour, Jan is the sexiest woman athlete in professional sports. She reminds me of Olivia Newton-John--only made out of bricks. To clear up an image problem in her native Australia, Jan had a television crew film a portion of our interview as part of a special to be televised back home. I think she's afraid of becoming too Americanized."

Q 1

PLAYBOY: You could be a model or an actress. Why are you golfing?

Jan Stephenson: There are millions of pretty girls and great actresses, but it's very difficult to be a top golfer. It's so disciplined and I'm so emotional. Most of the people who do well in golf do so because they're not emotional. They're boring people. It's such a challenge for me to control myself.

And there's nothing in the world like winning a tournament. That's what it's all for. It happens so rarely; the game is handling the fact you get defeated most of the time. So, when I finally succeed, I get goose bumps. It's the greatest.

Q 2

PLAYBOY: If you hadn't made it to the pro golf circuit, what would you be doing?

Jan Stephenson: I'd be a dance teacher. I love to sweat and heave and breathe and hurt and burn and get dirty. I've done something physical all my life. When I was seven years old, my dad wanted me to be an Olympic swimmer. I would train until I hurt. When I was eight and a half, he decided he wanted me to be a tennis player. I hated it. When I got to golf, at least I could do it at my own pace and I was my own boss. A lot of people are amazed at how hard I work out. There's something good about getting all dirty and grimy and nasty and then showering; you feel twice as clean.

Q 3

PLAYBOY: Are you a bad loser?

Jan Stephenson: Yeah. But golf has made me grow up. I used to be very immature. I was a big star in Australia; I always won and I was really obnoxious about it. When I came over here, I was a nobody, and it took me a long time to get to the top. I was so convinced I would win the world championship last year. But I finished second, made $26,000 and was miserable. I cry a lot. If I have a bad round, I'll burst out crying. If I'm not in contention, I hate it.

Q 4

PLAYBOY: What is the reaction among fellow golfers to your off-the-links activities?

Jan Stephenson: I'm very misunderstood. I do so much promotion and press for tournaments and for the Ladies Professional Golf Association. Anything I do, even for myself, is helping the L.P.G.A., as far as I'm concerned, and a lot of the girls don't see that. Actually, it's much tougher to do the promotions and the glamour part than just to play golf. I would love to be able to play and have nobody bother me.

Q 5

PLAYBOY: Does flaunting your sexiness get in the way of your credibility as an athlete?

Jan Stephenson: Last year, I rebelled and wore pants on tour. People were complaining that they weren't seeing my legs, but I thought they might realize that I'm a golfer--before anything else. When nobody knew me, I wore tiny tank tops and short shorts. When I got to be known as a golfer, I stopped that. Now it doesn't matter.