NEC WORLD SERIES OF GOLF

August 21, 1996

Justin Leonard

JUSTIN LEONARD: It doesn't really affect it that much. I never want to do anything stupid, but I am just going to play my game and play the golf course and take what it gives me. I felt that after missing the cut at the British Open that I needed to be in the World Series to have a good chance and you know, fortunately enough I went out and won and have played well, you know, the last couple of weeks, so it is great. I mean, three months ago I would have said that I didn't have much of a chance, but now after the last couple of months, you know, I am right in the middle of it, so it is a good feeling and something that I will be thinking about a lot this week.

JUSTIN LEONARD: It is a long course, but you have to put the ball in the fairway and it is severe. I mean, the course this long, if you miss the fairway, it is hard to get a 3 or 4-iron out of the rough and it is in incredible shape. I mean, the golf courses we have played the last month or so have just been incredible, really starting at the Buick Open right through this week. I mean, fairways and greens have just been perfect and, you know, getting here this week, I heard -- I played with two members today; they said this is the best they have seen it in the last 30 years and I am not -- you know, I wouldn't be surprised if it was. Because it is so immaculate. But I feel good about my game. I like the golf course. It sets up well off the tee and you got to hit a lot of good shots, so I am looking forward to the next four days.

JUSTIN LEONARD: A little bit. I feel even par is a good score. I don't think it will win the tournament, but I think that -- I don't know. I don't know what to say about the scores. I mean, I haven't played here before. I don't know what the conditions have been - if they have been different, the same, so I am just going to go out and see what the golf course gives me and add them up after four days.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I have been wearing this tape for five years just -- if I don't wear it, it gets irritated, so.....

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Not this piece of tape, but I have been taping it up.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Just the knuckle right there.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, right there, where -- I will show you with the mic. Grip right there, I mean, maybe there is something wrong with my grip, but I am not going to change anything right now. There is nothing wrong. It just gets irritated and so I just -- I mean, you know, I got to look kind of like a boxer or something - I don't know.

JUSTIN LEONARD: A little Floyd, Lee Trevino.

JUSTIN LEONARD: No, I cut it off as soon as I get done hitting balls.

JUSTIN LEONARD: The last three weeks, you know, there has been times when I have struggled a little bit, during a round or for a complete round and been able to hang in there and stay -- I had a chance at the at PGA and I had a decent chance last week. I mean, the only thing was I was so far ahead of the leaders and that kind of format, whoever is last in has the best chance. So -- but it has been a lot of fun. I mean, I have kept myself in it mentally and physically. The PGA itself, I probably learned more from Saturday's round than anything; struggled there -- played okay the first 10, 11 holes; then I made a triple on 12; bogeyed 14 and then I made a couple birdies coming in. Got it up-and-down a couple of times and really didn't save the round, but I kept myself in the tournament and not having been in that position before; playing that late, third round in the Majors, so it taught me a lot. I was proud of myself for that and then to come back on Sunday and play pretty good most of the day and then finish off well, you know, it was a good feeling and it is something that I think I can build on. I didn't really put any excess pressure on myself because it was a major and because I had just won and I played well. So it was a big confidence boost and, you know, it is something that will help carry me through the rest of the year.

JUSTIN LEONARD: No, it just means I get a little bit more mail, that is it. After writing a few more thank you notes, so I had writer's cramp Monday, but other than that, no, I mean, the people that I am friends with and my family, you know, I do not think they'd let me change in any way, you know, only for the better - which there is room, obviously, but you know, they keep an eye on me.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, Monday -- Sunday night is a big day, a big night, and you know, I am looking forward to going home, I want to play as much as I could and try to make the Presidents Cup team.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I am off next week. I am going to play Canada. Hopefully I will play the next week. And from there, it depends on whether I qualify for the team or not. I will play the Buick Challenge, Las Vegas and Texas and then probably THE TOUR Championship, assuming I get in.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I birdied 18. I made a good up-and-down at 17. Made a good up-and-down on 16.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I was the group ahead of Kenny Perry so I heard everything, 12, 13, 14.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I was at 9 for a while. Then I went back to 8. I think I bogeyed 11 to go back to 8 and then made some good pars and -- I mean, had a couple of putts lip out or run right over the hole and then got a couple of up-and-downs and birdied 18, so it was pretty solid. I played pretty good on Sunday. I didn't play well on Saturday and just held it together, but you know, Sunday I played pretty well and, like I said, had a couple of putts drop, who knows?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Actually, no offense, but that is private and -- but I will tell you that the Presidents Cup has been a big goal, but as far as other goals, I just -- there is a couple of people that know about them and I just prefer to keep it that way, but I will let you know that the Presidents Cup has been a big goal and so it makes this a big week.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I don't really know yet. I mean, the greens aren't too tricky to read. I made some putts today. I mean, it is Wednesday, but you know, I want to get a good feel for the greens and the golf course, I mean, even with some windier conditions, I don't think it will change my strategy very much. I like to hit a lot of drivers, so I don't -- I don't feel personally that this golf course requires a whole lot of local knowledge. Now, there are probably some others that probably disagree with me, but that is just my feeling.

JUSTIN LEONARD: The whole week was a fond memory. One of the greatest things was the finals, because we had rain earlier in the week. We were delayed until Monday, so everybody had to go back to work, so there weren't that many people out there, but Tom Kite was in town to plan, I think, the 3 Tour Challenge and they had Monday off and so he came out and watched me play the morning match. I was on the putting green before the first 18 holes and he walks up on the putting green and gives me a big handshake and some words of encouragement and I was just -- this was before I really got to know him and I mean, U.S. Open Champion watching me play, that was just -- that was incredible. So -- but really the whole week was very special and, you know, got a lot of great memories.

JUSTIN LEONARD: It was close to home in Huston. Great golf course. I played pretty well and I lost to the eventual champion John Harris. So that makes me feel better.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Quarterfinals. But I played well. John was playing great that week. He had played great at the Walker Cup the week before, and so it was a lot of fun. It was -- I mean, I told him when I got done, I said if I was going to get beat by anybody in this field this week I wanted it to be him because I knew how much amateur golf meant to him. He had his son caddying for him, Chris, so I was pleased and I was really pulling for him those last two matches he played.

JUSTIN LEONARD: No, I can't.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, it is true.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Can't relate at all - there is just no way.