home

jobs

	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

BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 12, 2004

Justin Leonard

ROYAL TROON, SCOTLAND

STEWART McDOUGALL: Ladies and gentlemen, we have Justin Leonard, The Open champion at Troon, here, in 1997. Justin, it's a number of years since you won that championship. How does it feel coming back here to the same course?

JUSTIN LEONARD: It's great to be back. I came over in 2000 before The Open at St. Andrews, and played the golf course just in a casual round and relived some of the memories, and it's nice to be able to come back and do the same thing this week.

STEWART McDOUGALL: Are you finding many differences to the course since then?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, I think the changes are pretty evident. There's some new tee boxes, and a couple of holes playing from different angles than we were in '97. And you've added a few bunkers, as well. But in general, the course plays about the same.

Q. You talked about the feelings and the emotions of coming back, what are some of the things that just come through your mind when you pull in here, when you walk into the clubhouse and walk onto the putting green?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, I remember specifics about the day, especially Sunday, more about the way I played and some of the putts that I made, those kind of things.

Q. You mentioned that you managed to come back in 2000. How well have you got to know Troon and the area? What are your thoughts on this as a place?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I'm sorry, you're asking me about the area?

Q. The town and the area, what are your thoughts on it?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I haven't gotten around the town very much. I think in '97 I mostly ate at the hotel, so I don't know the area very well, sorry.

Q. If I remember, two years ago things were going pretty well for you. You moved back up in the money list and you won. What has been the problem? I know you've struggled a little bit and you talked about that in the interview a couple of weeks ago you did. Any particular problem with your game?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No, there hasn't been really any one thing, I think. At times early in the year I wasn't putting very well. As my putting started to come around I started to struggle with my swing. And I've kind of gotten that straightened out. I feel like I'm swinging at the ball well. But for whatever reason just not shooting decent scores. So I played the U.S. Open, the Kemper and missed both cuts and I took two weeks off and didn't touch a club for about eight days and just started practicing a little bit last week. It helped, just getting away from the game a little bit, because I was becoming very frustrated.

I certainly have a better attitude coming here than I have had the last couple of months. And the same thing, I feel like my putting is pretty good, and I feel like my golf swing is pretty good. It's a matter of going out and trying to shoot some decent scores.

Q. Can you recall a story the Sunday night you won, did you go out to 17 with some people and sort of celebrate out there on the spot you were putting?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I don't know if I'm --

Q. You're allowed.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I'm allowed? I've heard that rumor, as well. And something like that might have happened.

Q. Can you be more specific?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, according to the rumor that I heard, I went out on 17th green and -- what was it -- pizza or something that I heard and had a few pints out there, as well, and it was dark and everything and, I don't know, I heard three or four guys were out there with me. Just from what I've read. That's all I heard.

Q. Were you staying at the Marine?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yes.

Q. Could you talk about the 8th hole and what makes it so unique? And the second part of the question is, how did you play that hole in '97?

JUSTIN LEONARD: You know, for a hole of that length to be as challenging as it is, and I think if that hole was situated somewhere in the middle of the back nine it wouldn't be nearly the hole that it is. But because normal conditions you're playing downwind for 7 holes then you have to turn around and hit off this elevated tee to this green that looks like the size of this table into the wind and all the trouble that's around it, I think the positioning of the hole on the golf course has as much to do with the hole itself. I believe that I parred it every day. I usually try and hit the ball 8 or 10 steps on the front part of the green and 2-putt from there, possibly have a chance to make it. But I don't really worry too much about where the pin is on that green.

Q. Any idea why Americans seem to do so well at Troon? They've won the last five Opens here from '62 when Arnie won. Any theories on that?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I have no answer. I'm not sure why that is. No ideas.

Q. The R&A apparently does not set up the golf course as much as the USGA sets up the U.S. Open course, is that fair to say? Is this just the same golf course that you came and saw yesterday or today as you did the first day in '97?

JUSTIN LEONARD: From what I remember, yes.

Q. There's no radical --

JUSTIN LEONARD: No, I think the R&A does an incredible job of setting the golf course up fairly and maintaining the course the way it is meant to be played and not worrying about what the winning score is. The weather dictates that. I think that's the way it should be.

Q. What are your thoughts on playing with Ernie Els? Do you think he's the man to beat this week?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I certainly would put him near the top of that list, if not on top of that list. I've been paired with Ernie -- it seems like quite a bit the last three or four years, especially in the major championships. He's a fun guy to play with, he's exciting to watch. You know he's going to come here ready and have a definite chance to win.

Q. Just in line with his question on the U.S. Open and those who heard all the talk when we were there, did you leave a little bit shell shocked? There were so many people complaining, it is like what were they doing here when you got out, even though you only went two rounds?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, I thought the first two days, I don't know if it was because of the rain, it probably was, that we had I guess Thursday night -- the first two days the golf course played wonderfully. And even through the practice rounds it was fine. No. 7 is a very difficult hole and No. 10 is a very difficult hole. But obviously I didn't play it in the conditions that the guys played it on Sunday. Again, this is a different tournament, I don't want to sit here and criticize the USGA, because it serves no purpose. I think the R&A does an incredible job, other than maybe Carnoustie in '99, of really getting the golf course the way it's supposed to be played, and not worrying about the winning score.

Q. Did you watch it Sunday on The Open?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yes.

Q. What were your thoughts?

JUSTIN LEONARD: That was a month ago, let's keep it on this week.

Q. Given the conditions here, yesterday and today, the wind seems to come up in the afternoons, these past two days, anyway, and I assume if it continues, is it imperative when you have the early morning tee times to score as best as you can, because it could be tougher later in the afternoon?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, it could be a lot tougher. That's the main thing, you just don't know. And, yeah, you want to try to take advantage of the early round as much as you can. At the same time, if you don't play well in the morning your week's not over. I wouldn't say it's imperative, but it's certainly an advantage to play well that morning round.

Q. What small changes have been made since '97 here? You mentioned a couple of tees?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, I'm probably not going to get all of them. I believe the two bunkers on the right of one fairway are new, maybe a new front left green-side bunker -- no, no, I don't want to cheat. Just check me, see if I'm doing well (laughter).

7, we're playing a different tee. In fact, I think it was there in '97 we just didn't play it. The tee is now further left. You can't quite see as much of the fairway, there's a couple of new fairway bunkers on the left.

I think the next change is probably 15, which it was a slight dog leg right, now it's a little dog leg left, and they added about 20, 30 yards.

1, there's a new tee that's another 20 yards back there.

That's probably about it. So a couple of different lines on tee shots and a little yardage and a few bunkers here and there.

STEWART McDOUGALL: That's not bad.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Thanks.

Q. I know you've mentioned this before and I think you like talking about it, everybody does and everybody is different, you're a dad now, what sort of impact does that have on your golf, the rest of your life?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, I heard one of my amateur partners in a Pro Am at some point -- you could tell he had a very good swing, and I wasn't hitting it well. I started asking him about his game, and he said I don't play nearly as well now that I have kids. And I said I don't either (laughter). But I don't know if she's had an impact on my golf game. I do know that it's made this year so far a lot easier to handle, because when I leave the golf course, I mean I've got a little girl who -- she doesn't care. She doesn't know anything about golf, she doesn't care about it. All she knows is that I'm there, and that puts a smile on her face. And that puts a smile on my face. And it's certainly made this year a lot easier. But I still find that I work just as hard, probably a little more efficient with my time and the time that I do work. But I know that when I leave the golf course or during a week off it's really time away and time off and that's certainly a good thing.

Q. How would you rate your own chances this week, and also how would you rate your chances of making the Ryder Cup team later this year?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I wouldn't say very well with either one. This week, this is probably -- probably the most rested and fresh that I've been all year, really, because I played quite a bit of golf last fall, late in the fall. And coming off of two weeks off and really able to get away from the game, and my game feels pretty good. If I can just continue to build a little bit, get a little better every day, I mean who knows. I think once I get on the first tee, the last six months kind of disappears. And if I can go out and get a decent round under my belt -- I need something to build on. I haven't had anything to build on in quite some time. So I'm looking forward to that and it's a huge challenge.

As far as the Ryder Cup, I'm not even thinking about it. I'm not even worrying about it. I'm not expecting to play. I'm not expecting to be picked. However, if I -- and I know in the back of my mind if I do something very special this week or at the PGA then there's a possibility I might play. But it's not anywhere in my thoughts. It was earlier in the year, and I think I started putting some pressure on myself and that's probably a reason why I haven't played so well. Someone asked me today where I was on the points. I couldn't tell you if I was 20th or 50th. It's nothing I'm concerned with now.

STEWART McDOUGALL: Justin, thank you very much.

End of FastScripts.

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297