	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

VALERO TEXAS OPEN

September 15, 2004

Justin Leonard

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

Q. Is it difficult to be here this week as opposed to somewhere up north where some other action is going on right now?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Not really. If I had been closer, been close to making the team for a while, I think it would be, but I really wasn't. Sure, I wish I was up there, but it doesn't really sting as much. Other than one week the last week, I was not close to making the team. I wasn't that consumed with it.

Q. You made such a run at it, though. It's one of those things where you had your fate in your hands pretty much and you really made a nice run at it. Does that sting at all, that part of it?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No, it hurts losing the PGA. It's not because I would have made the Ryder Cup team.

Q. With the Ryder Cup, what do you feel like are going to be some of the keys for both sides as far as who's going to win, anything in particular?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No. I mean, usually guys that play well and putt well win. I don't know what kind of keys there might be.

Q. But playing at this course, you've just eaten this one up obviously with the two victories, and you've played well even when you haven't won. What is it about this course that you play so well?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I don't know. I think maybe it's just getting back on Bermuda grass, and the weather is always pretty hot here. I don't think this course really suits any certain type of player. Certainly it's tight in some spots, but the rough is never really too bad.

I don't know, I'm kind of relaxed when I get here. I've been fortunate to have played well on more than one occasion.

Q. You say you're relaxed. Is there anything in particular that relaxes you here besides it being familiar territory?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No, some tournaments just have that kind of feel to them, and I think this is one of them, just getting to stay right here and being kind of in my home state. I don't know, there's just a feel about it.

Q. How is the course shaping up this year? What does it look like this year?

JUSTIN LEONARD: It's pretty soft. They've had a lot of rain here in the last couple of days.

Hopefully it'll firm up a little bit. If we don't get any more rain, then I think it'll do that, but it's in beautiful condition, it's just a little soft from the weather.

Q. When you play an event like this, it's kind of in the shadow of a bigger event. There's a lot of PGA events that play on the same weekends as the majors, and of course, the Ryder Cup is something they have to deal with here every couple of years. As competitors is there a plus or minus to that? Do you notice playing in the shadow of a bigger event on the golf landscape?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Not really.

Q. You don't really notice?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No.

Q. I heard someone had your autograph on one of your old golf bags out there?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah.

Q. Do you remember giving that one away or anything? Was it kind of funny to see an old golf bag of yours?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No. We followed the rules, and I think I've got one of my old golf bags, maybe my last one, but other than that, Jimmy Clayton kept those things. I guess he gave one away, which surprises me (laughter). We had to turn all our uniforms and golf bags in. How many guys do you think do that now (laughter)?

Q. Just curious, your daughter is going to be -- is she already a year old?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yes.

Q. Is she walking, talking?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No, she's crawling around and just being really cute all the time.

Q. What's that like for you as far as just kind of the day-to-day interaction? Is it kind of everything that you thought it would be, fatherhood?

JUSTIN LEONARD: It's probably more. It's just incredible. I found myself wanting to get my stuff here done and practice and get it all done so I can get home and spend time with my wife and our little girl. It's a lot of fun.

End of FastScripts.

About ASAP Sports • FastScripts Archive • Recent Interviews • Captioning • Upcoming Events • Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297