U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 12, 2003

Justin Leonard

RAND JERRIS: It's a pleasure to welcome Justin Leonard to the interview area. 1992 U.S. Amateur champion, former USGA champion. Fine round of 66 today, your lowest round in a U.S. Open. Maybe you could start off by talking about the playing conditions out there and if the course played as you would expect it would.

JUSTIN LEONARD: The conditions are about what I expected. I think I may have expected a little more wind this morning, but as far as the firmness of the golf course, it's kind of firmed up gradually throughout the week. The conditions were certainly calmer than I was expecting this morning and definitely a reason that there are a few guys at 3-under par, and why I was able to shoot 4-under.

RAND JERRIS: Could you walk us through the birdies and bogeys on your score card, please?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No. 2, hit a pitching wedge to about 6 feet.

No. 3, hit a 7-iron to 12 feet.

No. 5, drove it in the hazard to the right, took a drop, hit a 4-iron on the green about 25 feet, 2-putted.

No. 9, hit a 5-iron about ten feet.

Made bogey on 12, drove it in the right rough, hit a 6-iron in the rough just short of the green and chipped to about 15 feet and missed that.

Birdied 13, hit a pitching wedge to about 2 feet.

Birdied 14, hit an 8-iron to about 6 feet.

Birdied 15, hit a 6-iron about 12 feet.

Q. After the bogey there, how important was it, obviously the next hole you hit it very close, it seemed to take you on from there?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, that was -- certainly that was the best shot I hit today. Coming after a bogey and then knowing, even though the last four holes, we had a little bit of helping wind, it's still pretty difficult. So to be able to hit that -- a pitching wedge in there and get that stroke right back that I dropped at 12 was certainly the shot of the day and able to build up some momentum even after that.

Q. You talked a lot at Hazeltine last year about reworking your swing for majors and starting to see the results of that. Was today kind of a further evolution of that? Can you talk about that?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I think so. Thank you for reminding me of that. I hadn't really thought about it. But I believe it is. I put a lot of work in the last two or three years and I've worked very hard this spring. I've played a lot of golf. Because of my schedule, I'll start to taper off a little bit this summer. And so I think it's just a culmination of hard work. I feel like I go out and play with a little bit of -- a little bit more of a relaxed attitude than I have in the past. I think that kind of approach certainly helped me today.

Q. It looked like you had -- your birdie putts looked like they averaged six or eight feet, a couple nailed dead. How many of these pins can you go after when you're hitting it in the fairway and putting it in the fairway where you want?

JUSTIN LEONARD: This morning I was able to go at quite a few, anything less than a 7-iron, really, because I know the ball is going to stop. A number of times we actually backed the ball up. I don't expect that to continue throughout the rest of the week, unless we get some more rain. But I knew going out this morning that it would be nice to take advantage of those conditions and get off to a good start. I certainly realized that conditions are going to be more difficult tomorrow and I may have to adjust to how aggressive I might play into certain greens. But when I had anything less than a 7 or 8-iron in my hands I was trying to hit it at the hole.

Q. At this point in your career, how would you describe your hunger level for another major title?

JUSTIN LEONARD: That's one of those "let me answer that tomorrow". I am hungry. I would say that golf doesn't drive me the way it used to. And I think marriage has a lot to do with that. I think having -- we've got our first child on the way. Golf has become secondary or third. But as far as -- it doesn't drive my life, but as far as when I am playing golf, when I am practicing at home or playing a week or two before a major, that major is certainly first and foremost in my thoughts while I'm at the golf course.

Q. If conditions remain as they were out there today, which the players that have finished so far describe as pretty reasonable, what do you think a winning score might be come Sunday?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I'm sorry, I can't answer that. I banned myself from predicting scores about three years ago, because I think I predicted one and I shot it and I missed by like 8 shots, so I don't do that anymore.

Q. Given the kind of way you play, are you hoping the rain stays away, your style of play, are you hoping the rain stays away, and the course gets firm, would that be an advantage to you?

JUSTIN LEONARD: That was another thing I stopped doing about that same time was hoping on the weather one way or another. Sure, I think the golf course would definitely play more difficult without any rain, if the wind dries it out a little bit more. But you just can't control it, so I might as well not even worry about it. If it rains at night, adjust my thinking, and you have to play more aggressively. If it stays firm or gets firmer, I think it takes more of a conservative approach throughout the week. So just adjust to whatever the conditions may be.

Q. How much of a spark did you get from that round at Colonial, and can you use that like three weeks later, get some good mojo going?

JUSTIN LEONARD: The spark at Colonial I think has definitely helped me the last couple of weeks. I don't know about today. I think it's just far from -- actually, I did go back to it once today. When I'm trying to finish off a good round today, and other than 18, but going back to Colonial, you're making good putts at 15, 16, 17, to keep the round going. Those kind of things I definitely draw upon this week, and tomorrow or next year I might draw upon the round that I shot today. So it all -- hopefully get it all snowballing and I'll have a bunch to think about.

Q. You spoke in your outside interview about your game fitting the course. There were a lot of discussions about that. Do we make too much out of a guy having a game that supposedly fits the golf course and the results that should come from it?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I think when you get to a major championship the guys who are playing the best, regardless of how they play, whether they're a bomber or hit a bunch of fairways, I think that it separates the guys who are playing well from the ones who are not, regardless of the style of play. I think that's been proven. I think in regular Tour events certainly some courses fit a certain type of player versus others, but when you get to a major, it just depends on the guys who are playing well. I don't think there's certain styles of play that maybe suit one course versus another. I think it's more about playing well and having the confidence to go play well.

Q. You talked about going for pins and the ball even backing up on a couple of holes. Does this course today strike you more as a standard PGA TOUR course than a U.S. Open course?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No, I think this is definitely a U.S. Open golf course. If we played a TOUR event here every year, I think the guys would love it. But this definitely stands out on its own and it's not -- it doesn't have the length that the golf course did last year. And that's a good thing. I don't think we need to be playing those golf courses every year. This golf course is a little smaller but every bit as challenging. And so it definitely sets itself apart.

Q. In answering the question about the swing change you talked about playing with a more relaxed attitude now. Is that because you trust this swing more, and if so, why is that?

JUSTIN LEONARD: It's probably a number of things. It's definitely because I trust what I'm doing more. Also, at a number of times this spring, and even at Colonial, if I struggle one round, I'm able to go to the range that afternoon and kind of figure it out, and a number of times I've come back and really hit the ball well the following day. So that gives me some confidence.

I think the last thing is just -- is that golf doesn't drive me, everything that I do anymore. I'm still -- it doesn't mean that I'm not driven, but there are things much more important than what I shoot today or how I finish this week. I think I've just gained some perspective on that. And so I think I come out with a little more relaxed attitude. I can be pretty intense, so that in my mind can only help me.

Q. How many drivers did you hit today, and in terms of doglegs and playing strategy, is this course like any other recent Open courses, Southern Hills or anyplace else?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Let's see, I hit driver on 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18. So what is that, about nine?

Q. 11.

JUSTIN LEONARD: 11, okay. So probably more than anybody else you'll talk to today. What was the second part?

Q. Other recent Open courses, doglegs, use of driver?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Southern Hills I felt played shorter than this course, so I didn't hit nearly as many drivers there. This golf course reminds me a little bit of Oakland Hills. I don't remember all of the golf course, but it's got a little bit of that feeling to it.

Q. Do you see a cautious approach to the golf course, and if that is true, is that because the course is new to everyone or most everyone?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I think it takes a U.S. Open approach. There are going to be some holes you need to try to play aggressively and take some chances, and there are other holes you can't. I don't feel like you can go out and put the ball in the fairway and try to hit the center of the green every hole. I think at some point you've got to take a chance and hit a driver and hit the ball at the hole, but to do it smartly.

I don't necessarily think it matters that guys haven't seen this golf course in a tournament before. That's the case with -- we're playing some new golf courses now, and we're also going back to some of the classic venues. This is a classic golf course, we just haven't played it before. But after two days, if we can't figure out how to play a golf course, then we probably don't deserve to play well, anyway. So I don't think the fact that we haven't played here much makes much difference.

Q. To follow up on that, what is the most difficult part of this course to figure out, based on your practice rounds and today's competitive round? Where do you struggle to figure it out?

JUSTIN LEONARD: As far as struggling to figure it out, I think it's pretty much out there. I think the most difficult thing, though, is placing the ball on the greens. You can get above the hole in some spots, and if these greens dry out a little bit more and get a little bit quicker, it would be very difficult to stop the ball around the hole. The only way to do that is from the fairway. I think it's pretty typical of a U.S. Open set up in that it puts a real premium on driving the ball in the fairway so that you can control where you're going to hit your approach shots.

RAND JERRIS: Congratulations on your fine play. Thanks for your time.

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