U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 11, 1997

Justin Leonard

LES UNGER: Well, I think we'll get started with Justin and others will straggle in. And, we take a little pride that our former U.S. Amateur Champion, another one, is doing extremely well on the Tour with Phil Mickelson being one and Mr. Woods being one and they're all doing great. And, you had a nice win last week. A word or two about last week from you about your victory.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, you know, I came here thinking a little bit about this week, and made plans to come over here and walk the golf course. But, really, after Friday's round - and I was playing well right in the middle of the tournament - I decided, you know, put all my attention into the Kemper Open and knowing that I would have three solid days to get ready here. And, so, I think I did a good job of doing that and just playing the tournament and, you know, start getting ready for this week on Monday.

LES UNGER: Justin, did you and did many of the other guys establish a place to stay that would keep for two weeks?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I'm sure a lot of guys did. I actually stayed in a hotel last week and then a house this week. So, you know, I guess I'm superstitious about some things. But, I was ready to, you know, get into a house this week.

Q. Your comments on Congressional which you've played the last couple days and what, you think, opportunity it presents to you, the length you need here, et cetera?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, you have to drive the ball well, and, you know, any time you hit it in the rough, you're probably looking at bogey. You know, you're going to be trying to get it up-and-down from anywhere from 100 to 150 yards for par. And, so, it puts a real premium on driving the ball well, and a lot of patience, and that's true with all the U.S. Opens. You know, the guys who go out and make the fewest amount of mistakes and stay patient are the ones who are going to do well.

LES UNGER: Questions.

Q. Justin, did the fact that Kemper made a serious effort to toughen its rough and toughen the course the pin placement, et cetera, and so forth, are you seeing that from what you've seen at Congressional, was that any advantage to you at all by playing successfully there last week?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I think so because there's a premium on driving the ball last week. And any time, last week you hit it in the rough, you were penalized more so than in the past. So, I think that's an advantage coming into this week, because there's been that pressure to keep the ball in the fairway, yet you need to drive it with some length because it was playing long. So I felt it was set up well. You know, played it the week before the Open and that they had some rough and they tried to lengthen the course as much as possible.

Q. Have you made the permanent switch to a metal headed driver? And, if so, why did you hold on so long to the wood and what's the metal had to do for you?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I mean, what's permanent in this game, you know, who knows what will happen, but for right now, I'm real happy with the new driver. When I held out, I guess I couldn't find a combination of something that I hit, you know, I figured it wasn't going to be worth hitting unless I hit it 10 yards farther. And, I didn't want to sacrifice control, because that's what my game is about. And, if I lose that, then I'm changing too much. This driver, I'm able to control the height very well. It's easy to work left to right - I am right to left - and, you know, I was really surprised, because I hadn't found any metal drivers I could do that with.

Q. Which one? Which is it?

JUSTIN LEONARD: It's a Titleist Titanium, the number is 975D. They'll be selling them, you know, I think pretty soon. I don't know, but it's just -- you know, I think it's a combination of the head and the shaft worked really well for me.

LES UNGER: Did it add 10 yards or more?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I wouldn't have switched if it hadn't. Yeah, and, you know, at times there's 15 or 20 yards, so it's -- you know, it's really taken a lot of pressure off other parts of my game. I've noticed just in the five tournaments that I've played, you know, remembering from the last couple years what I would hit on the par 4s and 5s and it's really made a big difference.

Q. Did you ever get the grief on the driving range and, whatnot, from other players?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No, I think they were all encouraging me to hit the persimmon and I think I figured out why. I guess I'm going to have to evaluate a few of my friendships out here. The guys that wanted me to keep hitting the persimmon wood.

Q. What club do you think others are going to use on 18 and do you like 18 as a finishing hole?

JUSTIN LEONARD: You know, 4-, 5- or 6-iron, I would say. Unless we get some kind of big wind. But, yeah, I do like it. I mean, would 17 make a better finishing hole? I don't know. Because it's not. So, you know, 18 is the finishing hole, and -- but, it's a good hole. It's a big green, but there's a lot of undulation in there. And, you look down there and see all that water and it can be pretty intimidating. So, I think we'll have an interesting finish this year.

Q. What is the elevation, the degree and is the length of the shaft the same that you were using or what is it --

JUSTIN LEONARD: No. The loft is 7 1/2 degrees and because it's a bigger head, I was able to get a longer shaft and still feel comfortable. The original -- actually, when Titleist sent me the first one, it had a steel shaft that was the same length as my driver and I set it down and I said this has got to be short as far as the length. It was just that the head was bigger so it made it feel shorter. So, I went to a 45 inch shaft, and with the bigger head, it doesn't feel longer, but obviously, that extra inch makes a difference. And, I actually didn't get the driver until Wednesday at the turn of the Pro Am at the Houston Open and played with it on Thursday, so -- and, I've been testing for about two years. So, I think that kind of tells you about the driver as soon as I got it.

Q. Is there a connection between your U.S. Amateur experience and the U.S. Amateur setup and what you're seeing here at the U.S. Open? And, the second question: Do you feel like sort of a carryover or momentum from your win last week?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I think, you know, with any USGA Championships, there's a connection. Just from the way they set the golf courses up, the kinds of golf courses we play, it puts a premium on ball-striking and par. It makes par a good score, and so I enjoy that style of play. I think it suits my game, and you know, just look forward to the challenge of golf courses like this and Olympic Club and Pebble Beach and things like that. So, you know, it's phenomenal to get to play so many great historical golf courses and see the conditions we get to play under. As far as kind of carryover from last week, I hope so. My first tournament win was the Buick the week before the PGA. And, so, it's very similar circumstances. And, I was able to go on and play well at the PGA that year, and play well the following week. So, I hope it carries over. And, you know, it's -- I think I've been able this week to, you know, Monday was kind of a blur, but yesterday, I think I did a good job of getting another -- I felt real comfortable today with the golf course. That's been my main priority the last three days is getting to know this golf course and yet still have fun and savor last week. But once this is over, then, you know, it's kind of -- I need to go to the range. I need to hit balls, and, you know, kind of get back to work. But, I've enjoyed the last three days, and at the same time, I feel like I've gotten the work done that I need to get done.

Q. Justin, can you talk a little bit about the 6th hole? A couple of guys have said they're going to play it as a par 5 in their minds if they get in the rough. What are your thoughts about it and how do you approach it?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, I mean, any hole you get in the rough, it turns it into a par 5. I guess I hit it in the rough once today on 13. I was able to hit the green. But, I think that was an exception. You know, if I hit a good drive, if I get it down there where I feel comfortable with a 3-iron or 1-iron, whatever I have to hit, then I mean, I guess it is kind of like a short par 5 and I'm going to go for it. But, you know, any kind of funny lie or, you know, if you hit it in the rough, you have to lay up. I don't think there's anybody that can carry over that water. But, I mean even from the fairway, if I don't feel comfortable with whatever club I have, then I'm just going to punch it down there, and leave myself with 60-yard pitch shot. And, I mean, if I have to do that all four days, I figure I should at least get two of them up-and-down. And playing that hole in two pars and two bogeys, I don't think you're going to lose too much ground. So, you know -- but that's just kind of the way you have to look at that hole. And, you know, 10 is kind of the same way. If things don't feel right, then it's not a hole you can really force something on. So, you know, play safe, be patient, and, you know, hopefully you'll get it back later in the round.

Q. Justin, three questions while I've got the mike here. One, you said Monday was a blur. What exactly did you do to celebrate your victory that day?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Not that kind of a blur.

Q. What did you do?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, I have some friends here, and my agent -- somebody that worked for him were here with their wives and two relatives were here, and so we were able to go out and have a nice evening. And we didn't stay out too late, didn't get in any trouble, didn't break any curfews. But, you know, it was -- just called my answering machine, and I've got 20 messages, and called back the next day and had 20 more. Just relaying all the stories and returning phone calls and things like that. Once I, you know, actually teed off, got on the first hole, then it was nice thinking about the round a little bit, you know, getting to see the golf course as it plays, but as far as, you know, off the golf course, it was just, you know, returning phone calls and things like that. I mean, it was a good blur, but it was just a pretty busy day.

Q. A couple of them from your bio here. How did you get the nickname Jasper?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Who -- Wes, are you in charge of the PGA Tour book? Jasper. This crazy friend who's been a member and a family friend at my home course for a long time when I was a kid just -- he would call me every name other than my real name. And one day he called me Jasper, and somebody heard him, and they called me Jasper, and so, I mean, it's mostly just when I'm at my home course in Dallas that, you know, but some of the older members just anything with a "J," I try to answer to. So, Jason or whatever, and -- but it's mainly just, you know, a little bit in Dallas, but mostly at my home course.

Q. Now, if that one rattled you, explain how you got on Cosmo's list of the 25 most eligible bachelors in the world.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I have no idea. I think they were -- they had a couple other athletes in there, and they were looking for somebody from golf, I guess, and they started going down the list. And, you know, everybody on Tour is married, basically. And I guess they got to the Ls and there I was single. I mean, that's the only explanation I have.

Q. What clubs do you use to come in on 6 and 10?

JUSTIN LEONARD: 6, I hit a -- I think I hit a 1-iron Monday, a 4-iron yesterday, and a 3-iron today. And 10, I hit 4-iron, 3-iron, 4-iron, so, you know, that's without any hurting wind. So, I mean, if 6 got into the wind, and, you know, do you hit a 3-wood at that green or lay up, you know, just depends on how I've hit it so far that day and what I feel like doing.

Q. At the Kemper Open, you put up probably four of the most consistent rounds you possibly could have done, three 69s and a 67 to win. Is that the key to your game and finding the level you can play at and just do it in effect four times in a row?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I think that's part of it. You know, just being consistent. Towards the early part of this year, I wasn't consistent, not as much as I'd like to be. But it's gotten better over the last couple, three months, and really since The Masters, I've had some good results and felt pretty good about things. It's just nice to go out and play well and be in a position to win.

LES UNGER: Any others? Justin, if you come back and sit here in the next few days, you'll be doing well.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I hope so. Thanks.

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