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THE 50TH BOB HOPE CLASSIC HOSTED BY ARNOLD PALMER

January 20, 2009

Justin Leonard

LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA

MARK STEVENS: We would like to welcome Justin Leonard to the media center. Justin won this event in 2005. He has 12 career PGA TOUR victories and currently is number 14 in the FedExCup points. Justin, if you can start out just kind of talking about your thoughts on this week coming in, how you played so far this year, and a little bit about the history of the Hope and what it means to you in this 50th anniversary of the tournament.
JUSTIN LEONARD: I always look forward to coming back for the Hope. It's a relaxed atmosphere. The golf courses are always in great shape, the weather's great. It's a good week to still get some of the winter rust off our games. I played at Kapalua two weeks ago and played pretty well and just look forward to getting underway tomorrow.
MARK STEVENS: Questions?

Q. Wondering how well you know Mr. Palmer and what you think of him as far as a person and maybe whatever you guys talk with your conversations are like.
JUSTIN LEONARD: I played on a Presidents Cup team that Mr. Palmer captained in '96. And it was a real honor to be able to be around him that week and play with him. I played a couple practice rounds with him at various events and he means a lot to the game, to the TOUR, and I love the fact that he's kind of putting his name and his mark on this event.

Q. Some players seem to like this format and enjoy making friends and other things, and some other players though don't show up regularly or at all for this event. Is this like a personal thing to play this tournament or so many tournaments or what?
JUSTIN LEONARD: I like coming here for a number of reasons. But it's a very relaxed atmosphere. Playing with the amateurs, and they have always shown a lot of respect knowing that it's, we are here competing and this is part of our job. I enjoy playing the golf courses. The weather's always pretty good. I know how much this event means to this area and it's nice to be able to come back and support it.

Q. Any thoughts on the Inauguration?
JUSTIN LEONARD: No, not really.

Q. Did you watch?
JUSTIN LEONARD: I caught a little bit when I was eating lunch, but that's about it. I bet traffic is pretty bad right now.

Q. You're pretty good friend I think with A K, right? Anthony Kim you know of him?
JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah. Yeah.

Q. What do you think that an event like this, when the guy went to high school here and stuff, he withdrew this morning, I don't know if you knew that, when the tournament has a guy like that that really draws locals and stuff, what does the tournament miss when somebody like that isn't able to play?
JUSTIN LEONARD: It's difficult. I have a hometown event, kind of two, and how important it is for me to play in those and to play in front of family and friends and so I'm sure he'll be sorely missed this week.

Q. Are you worried about as far as the economy and the golf tournaments and sponsorships, are you personally worried about that? Do you feel any particular need to sort of -- I know the commissioner had set up a video about taking up with sponsors and stuff. Are you personally worried about having more of a stake in this to try and help tournaments at all?
JUSTIN LEONARD: I'm not worried about it, but it's certainly, I think we all need to place a greater emphasis on sponsor relations and mentioning title sponsors, doing things that maybe the last few years, I know especially myself, that I have neglected to do. Sponsor visits, tent visits, those kind of things. When it's appropriate.
I think we all can do more of that and should because it's so much -- it's even more important now in these economic times for those sponsors to get more than what they're paying for. And I think it falls on from TOUR staff employees, but most importantly to the players to see the situation for what it is and try and keep our sponsors happy.

Q. Is that something that has been a bigger topic of conversation among the players the last year, six months or so, this issue of sponsor relations and putting more time into it?
JUSTIN LEONARD: Not really among the players, but between the TOUR staff and the players.

Q. Can you go over your schedule for the next month or so.
JUSTIN LEONARD: Playing here, playing next week at FBR, and then taking two weeks off and then I'm going to play Northern Trust and then the Match Play. Accenture. See, I mentioned a sponsor.
(Laughter.)

Q. You won here a couple years ago, played very well here last year. You talked about how comfortable you are, but the courses have changed quite a bit, what do you attribute your success here to?
JUSTIN LEONARD: I think the golf courses, they don't really set up well for any certain style of play. They're certainly not overly long. I think you have to be patient.
Sometimes you can, you make four or five, six pars in a row all of a sudden you feel like you're getting lapped. And that can sometimes lead to mistakes. And I stay pretty patient here and it's early in the year, I'm always excited to play and working very hard and I just think that the attitude is that I enjoy coming here. I think that certainly helps.

Q. Tiger Woods was part of the Inauguration and it's rare that we see him maybe take either political stands or stances on certain things and what does it mean do you think to see him be a part of this Inauguration and what do you guys, what are your thoughts on that?
JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, I think it shows just how popular and how much appeal he has. Not just here in the U. S. but globally. I doubt too many other guys on TOUR were asked to speak at the Inauguration. So I think it just shows how far reaching Tiger Woods is.
MARK STEVENS: Thank you very much, Justin.
JUSTIN LEONARD: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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