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NORTHERN TRUST OPEN

February 19, 2016

Justin Leonard

Pacific Palisades, California

Q. Round two on top of round one, you have to feel good about the progress you're making?
JUSTIN LEONARD: I do. Nice to get off to a good start. Nice to manage things, for the -- I had some pretty basic pitch or chip shots and made a nice birdie there at 9.

Q. Seemed like you scrambled a bit, kept it together, because you had some chances where it could have gone the other way, but you got up-and-down with relative ease.
JUSTIN LEONARD: My first couple holes, I hit good wedge shots and missed both of those. Then kind of chipped in on a shot where I was trying to get it within eight, ten feet on 13. And then same thing, just kind of missed a few greens, but missing in the right spots to where I can get the ball up-and-down. You know, that's the way I need to play.

This weekend, I'd like to hopefully get back to the way I hit some iron shots yesterday. I'll work on that a little bit this afternoon.

Q. What was your off-season like, in terms of re-assessing, re-focusing?
JUSTIN LEONARD: I didn't touch a club for, I think it was about 35 days, so five weeks. Went to Phoenix -- now, I did some stuff in the gym to try and simulate golf swing, and the things that I'm trying to do in my golf swing.

I spent a day with Todd Anderson and Randy Myers over in Sea Island and I think that was the last time I hit balls until the second week of January. So I was working on my game three or four days a week. I just wasn't touching a club. So went to Palm Springs for three days and tried to get some of the rust off -- or excuse me, Scottsdale. Went back home for a week and then got to Palm Springs a few days earlier than I would normally.

My work, when I'm not here at a golf tournament, is simply in the gym. I don't have a place to hit balls. I take my clubs out of the travel cover to make sure nothing's broken, and then they sit in the corner until I pack them up again.

It's been nice. And I've talked myself into believing that skiing is actually helping my golf. So that's why I need to get in at least five days a week when I'm at home.

Q. In terms of where your game was and what you wanted to accomplish this year and what different things you wanted to do, what was that process?
JUSTIN LEONARD: I don't have any real specific goals quite honestly. I'm playing, you know, ten to 12 events, and I've really cut back to the places where I get excited to play, where I feel like I have a good opportunity if my game is on.

You know, this place, I played well here in the PGA in '95, and since then, I've just been waiting to get back on that roll that I had in '95. So maybe it just takes 21 years.

But I just love the golf course. And it doesn't necessarily suit my game. When it's firm like this, my chances are better. But I just enjoy the shots that you have to play on this golf course and the things you've got to do around the greens. But you know, as far as like goals and laying out what I want to do, I just want to come out and enjoy my time and enjoy playing and competing.

You know, when I'm on site putting the work in to get ready, and then see if it's enough.

Q. You say this course doesn't really suit your game; how do you find a comfort level?
JUSTIN LEONARD: Because I just enjoy the golf course. It's pretty long for the length that I hit it. But I've hit some good 3- and 4-irons this week. Again, I'm not going to hit a ton of greens.

So if I can chip and putt, I can keep it around even par. If I make a couple putts and hit a 4-iron on 9 to ten feet here and there, I can shoot under par and see what happens.

Q. When you came up with this ten to 12 tournament schedule, did you come up with a number or did you go through the list of courses that made you excited to play and that was the number?
JUSTIN LEONARD: Yes, I was thinking ten to 12. And then when I said, okay, that's my number, when I started just doing it both ways, it came up to ten to 12.

You know, I've got a little wiggle room, but it's not going to grow by much.

Q. Is The Open on the list?
JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, yeah, that one made it.

Q. I read one story about how you had a heart-to-heart with a sports psychologist about your approach.
JUSTIN LEONARD: Which one (laughs) yes.

Q. She gave you a pretty candid assessment --
JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, it was funny, she told me I needed to work harder and practice more and put the time in. So I moved to Colorado so that I can't practice.

You know, my conscience is clear, because it's just not possible. So yeah, it was -- but she did. She gave me some very fair, honest assessments and hit me in the eye a few times. And I like that in people. I like that, especially people that you're close to, whether it's a caddie or an instructor or a mental coach. I tell our pastor all the time, I say, listen, I don't mind walking out of here with a black eye, as long as I'm going to learn something from it. It was good. So that's why I moved to Colorado so I couldn't do what she told me to do.

Q. Had you enjoyed it a long time or was the trip to the camp with the kids what got you moving in that direction?
JUSTIN LEONARD: No, we've been going up there for awhile. We used to have a place in Telluride for a few years and just fell in love with it and thought, some day we'll do it. We just moved the time frame up by a few years.

Q. Is there anything mechanical about skiing that translates to golf?
JUSTIN LEONARD: Oh, absolutely. Adam needs to get up here. I can't go into it. Oh, it's amazing how similar they are. (Laughter).

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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