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FEDEX ST. JUDE CLASSIC

May 26, 2005

Justin Leonard

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you Justin for joining us for a few minutes in the media center here at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Where do we start? Three birdies to start off any comments.

Q. (Inaudible)?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Very benign. I don't know how to spell that.

Q. Did you feel that coming at all when you start off that hot?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Not really. It is hard to feel a 29 coming. But, I felt pretty good the last couple of days. Yesterday in the Pro/Am, everything got better as the day went on. By the end of day I was hitting the ball pretty well. This is my third week in a row. I had a month off before that.

I feel like I played my way into this round. Certainly shooting 62 is a surprise. I felt like that coming into this week I was in a pretty decent place. After the last two days working, everything felt pretty good.

Q. The month off obviously for the birth of a little one. How does it feel to be on the road? Do you sleep better on the road?

JUSTIN LEONARD: About the same. So I sleep something about the same. It is good. We have got two great little girls and you know what, it is worth being a little tired to have them with us.

Q. Was Memphis always obviously with the birth and everything was Memphis always on your schedule, was it a late addition?

JUSTIN LEONARD: It was kind of a late decision. During that month off I was looking at my schedule. I knew I was going to play the Nelson and the Colonial. We were thinking about, well, we could stay at home another week or two and then Amanda, my wife, started talking about it, we have been at home for six weeks. She was looking up kind of my history and she was kind of going through Memphis. "You know, you have played really good at Memphis." I said, "Well, it fits perfect in the schedule. I have played well so let's go." And you know, we probably made the decision three or weeks ago. It was as much her doing as mine.

Q. How long did you take off for the first baby?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, it was six weeks but I was kind of off nine. I almost missed the birth actually. She was three weeks early I was in Boline (ph) trying to catch a flight through a thunderstorm on a Saturday night at midnight. I got there. You know, if it hadn't been the Masters I probably would have been home all six weeks. Avery was born three weeks early as well. I didn't get to Augusta until Wednesday at lunch. But it has been nice. I love being at home and just hanging out with the kids. I told Amanda today if it wasn't the Byron Nelson and the Colonial we would have stayed home a few more weeks.

Q. What time was the first one born?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I got to the hospital at 4:00 a.m. She was born at 11:30.

Q. Do you think the blend of work and family for golfers is different than the rest of us?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yes.

Q. Why?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Because the amount of time that we get to spend with our families while they are young enough to travel. My time at home, I don't need to do anything. I don't need to go anywhere. So when I am at home I am at home. I really enjoy that. You know, the same way out here. Other than the four hours that I am playing an hour or so before and after, other than that, it is just us hanging out. That will obviously change a little bit once our oldest reaches school. I might have to go through therapy because of it. We will deal with that when we get there.

Q. How do you keep your concentration on a day like today; you are playing great, you've have got a competitor in Ian Leggatt that is struggling. You helped him a couple of times with rules and so forth. You stayed in your game. How did you concentrate?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, to Ian's credit, he didn't let it bother him. He is coming off a 14 month injury. He has had two wrist surgeries. He is finding his way again. So, he knows that. He didn't let it bother him and he made sure it didn't bother me. If that had been a handful of other players, yeah, it may have affected me more than it did. I don't know being the person that he is and knowing what he is going through, he just pushed on.

Q. You said you were a little surprised, obviously a 62 given the course changes we're used to seeing, 62 may be the first and second rounds here. I guess this year we thought maybe it wouldn't be quite that low.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I think there is no wind today. The name of the course kind of leads you to believe that it blows a little bit here. So we figured out the last two days they will name it "TPC Northeast Wind." This golf course is tougher. If we get a day this week or in the future where you get your normal prevailing winds here you will see how much tougher it is.

Q. How glad are you to be able to get out early while conditions are so nice as you mentioned and get a low score on the board?

JUSTIN LEONARD: It is always nice to take advantage of an early tee time. I don't have a real history of doing that in the past. It is nice. Now I kind of got a long break until tomorrow afternoon. I can kind of enjoy what I did today and let it soak in a little bit, get ready for tomorrow.

Q. Do you like putting on Bermuda greens?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I like putting on these Bermuda greens. There is not a lot of grain. I broke as many tees fixing ball marks as I did on tee box. The rough is so thick. There is not a lot of grain. You can put a good read on the ball, you can putt well.

Q. What is the length of the putts on 13 and 14?

JUSTIN LEONARD: 13, was about six feet and 14 was ten feet.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: (Inaudible).

JUSTIN LEONARD: 3 I hit a pitching wedge to five feet. 5, I hit a 7 iron. I don't know. I think I hit a 7 iron, 15 feet.

Seven I hit a 7 iron 58 feet, nine inches and 9 I hit a pitching wedge.

15, I hit a sand wedge. It was about five feet. Then 17, I hit a 9 iron 20 feet

Q. Other than the greens, were there any changes you like or don't like?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Some good I like the change at 13. The tee at 3 is a tough angle, especially with a south wind. It is back but further to the left. I think I like 5 as a par 5. I don't think it is a bad par 4 either.

8, downwind it is nearly impossible to hole the green even with an 8 iron or something. I think into the wind that hole would play better. I think those are pretty much the main changes

Q. Tom Lehman said he hated No. 10?

JUSTIN LEONARD: They didn't do anything.

Q. The tee box is back?

JUSTIN LEONARD: It is an uncomfortable tee shot. It doesn't I don't think that tee shot fits anybody's eye very well. But.

Q. Are you playing the next couple of weeks?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I am off next week then I am playing three in a row.

Q. Your family goes with you everywhere?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yes. They are not going to come to the Open championship this year at St. Andrews. Other than that they will be everywhere else.

Q. You like being a dad, right?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah. It is the greatest. They don't care what I shoot. They treat me just the same either way.

Q. Kenny Perry said his kids would tug at him to stay and when they got older they would say "Go play, we need a new car."

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah. Yeah.

Q. That is when he started winning?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I will have some tough phone calls in a few years.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you, Justin.

End of FastScripts.

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