VERIZON BYRON NELSON CLASSIC

May 8, 2001

Justin Leonard

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, you know, this tournament raises a lot of money for the local charities, and it's nice to live here and know so many of the guys in the Salesmanship Club, and, you know, really see how it impacts Dallas/Fort Worth area. Just incredible. I know this event, a number of years on TOUR, has been the leading fund-raiser for its local charities. You know, just I know about so many of the neat programs that goes on here with the Nelson. I'm involved in an event for the American Stroke Association, raising money through Bayer Aspirin this month of May. You know, I think so much emphasis is put on the purse and how much the players are making and what the winner gets and the guy who finishes 10th place, but the flipside of that is how much money this tournament is raising for charities and how many people are going to benefit from us playing this week, and how much time the Salesmanship Club putts into this tournament, taking a week off from their jobs and duties and families to help run this event. So, you know, I just -- this is the only way I know to thank them. Unless I win the tournament; I can thank them in person. I figure I'll get it out of the way now. Just an incredible week, and it's fun for me, and you know, despite however I play or anybody else plays, there's more than one winner this week.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I have. I took two weeks off. I took about three days off and didn't touch a club. Then I practiced almost as if I was playing the following week. Started practicing on Thursday and worked pretty hard for three days. Then I took another three days off and actually had to go to New York to kick off the event that I was telling you about, for the American Stroke Association. Then came back and started practicing again on Wednesday. So, you know, I didn't -- I didn't take a lot of time off, but I certainly feel refreshed, and I think I've worked hard enough in the last ten days to where I come here on Tuesday feeling very comfortable with my game and -- but at the same time, I feel very fresh.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I'm going to play four weeks in a row. Here, Colonial, Kemper, Memorial, then I'm going to take a week off and play the U.S. Open, and I'm not sure what my schedule is after that.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Maybe. (Laughs). Contemplating.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, I feel comfortable.

JUSTIN LEONARD: You know, there's always a couple things, but it's not eight things, and it's very basic. I mean, the last couple weeks I've spent trying to move the ball up a little bit in my stance, and just checking my alignment. You know, that's pretty much as simple it gets. And I've gotten very comfortable with it. Sunday I was hitting balls and, you know -- I hit balls for maybe 45, 50 minutes because I just felt like I knew what I was doing, which is a feeling I haven't always had this year. And I took yesterday off and didn't do anything. So I'm feeling good about my swing because I'm not having to think about it, and I'm just out there on the golf course, you know, trying to pick the right club and hit the right shot. You know, started feeling more that way at Augusta, and it carried over to Houston, and so I've tried to keep it very simple the last couple weeks while I'm at home, because I don't want to get back in the mode of thinking about things so much.

JUSTIN LEONARD: You know, it's tough. At the same time, even though missing those cuts and the cuts that I made, you know, 50th finish, whatever it may have been, you know, I saw some positive things through that; that if you read it in the newspaper, you wonder, you know, what is this guy doing? You know, forget it, chuck it, go back to what you know. But I saw some positive things. And even through the missed cuts, the 73s and 74s, there were stretches in round where I actually played some pretty good golf. I felt like it -- I played, you know, a little better as it went along and I got more comfortable, but, you know, I knew I would struggle. I was more surprised than anybody the way I started the year, because I knew I would struggle, because it was something new. So I think I may have set a little bit -- I set myself up for a big fall with those first two events. You know, now I feel like I'm playing at a more consistent level. You know, I'm not hitting the wild shots that I was early in the year, and, you know, making the game more simple.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, most of that money came through four tournaments. You know, there were 24 other events that I struggled with. You know, looking over the last two years, the results were okay, but I knew how I got the ball around during those tournaments. If I finished 15th, I know how much I struggled. Those are the reasons I made the change. You know, what have I changed: I've shortened my swing and I've simplified my swing. I've taken a lot of the excess movement out of my swing by a different position at address. And basically, I've got a better understanding of what I'm trying to do in the golf swing and how it is supposed to feel.

JUSTIN LEONARD: 10th.

JUSTIN LEONARD: 11. I tell you, there is no guarantee with picks.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I think so. You know, I would guess that captains have picked into the -- around 20, but, you know, as far as I'm -- I need to finish in that Top-10, because beyond that, you know, there's a chance, but I'd rather not take that chance. So you, you know, I wouldn't -- it depends who is playing well at the time, who finishes in those 11 to 15 spots. You know, if he's got a couple other veterans in those spots, you know, I wouldn't put myself above them.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, here's the way I look at it. These four tournaments that start on Thursday, they will play a significant role in the way I'm playing going into the majors this summer. The way I play in the majors this summer will probably decide whether I make the Ryder Cup team or not. So that's my priority list. The Ryder Cup is last.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah. Thursday is first. That's my first priority, playing this week. Sunday night, my priority is Fort Worth and what I do at Colonial, because they all -- you know, I have to go through one to get to the other. So I just figure I'll take the first challenge I've got and put everything into that.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I think so. I think the next -- the next few weeks, you know, it does. It will set me up into: How do I go into the U.S. Open, you know, what kind of shape my game is in. And again, I'm not -- but I'm not going to put full stock into that; if I play poorly these four weeks, you know, that majors are out, Ryder Cup is out. I never put all of my eggs in one basket. But I just know I've got a really good -- I've got a good feeling about my game, about the tournaments that are coming up, and, you know, I'm just really looking forward to this week and this whole summer.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I guess I've got to take three shots off each day.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I don't know. I think I have to get off to a decent start. I had a great start here a couple years ago and didn't do much with it. So, you know, what do I have to do to win here? That's a great question. I haven't figured it out because I haven't been able to do it yet. But I think that, you know, if the wind blows -- the more difficult these two golf courses play, the better chance I have because that's kind of where my mindset is right now. I think that's a reason why I played well in Houston, because it was playing very difficult, and you really had to think your way around that golf course. I think that's what I look forward to this time of year are some very difficult, challenging golf courses, and some challenging conditions. You know, I feel like if that's the case, then, you know, I've got as good a chance as anyone to play well here.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Pretty soft. But I would say they will get better. You know, they are in wonderful condition. I don't think I've ever seen as much grass, and I don't think I've ever seen the greens as consistent and in as good of shape as they are. You know, I think we are all hoping that this dries out a little bit, because that's the way this golf course is meant to play.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I played '96 -- and was it there in '97 as well? '95 and '96. I played both years.

JUSTIN LEONARD: You know, it was in October, which is very different than June.

JUSTIN LEONARD: It's cooler. Man, I thought you told me I could slide that on by him. (Laughter.) You know, I think it will be a different golf course, but the way you have to shape the ball off the tees, shape it into the greens because they are very small, you know, it's a great mental test, as much as it is a physical test. I can't wait to get up there and see it.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I don't know how much of a tune-up they are for playing Southern Hills. I think it's just good to get out and play -- play in tournaments. You know, whether the conditions are similar are not, I think just the competition, getting yourself ready to play, going out, trying to shoot a score for 72 holes, you know, that's as much preparation as you can really ask for. Unless you've got another tournament at Southern Hills the week before.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I don't think so. I think when you look at what the rest of the field -- how the rest of the field played -- I also don't know -- I mean, they are going to get the golf course as difficult as they can get it, regardless of what score was shot, because that's what we as players expect. That's what the USGA wants. You know, I think they are going to have it as difficult, borderlining on is-it-fair-or-not, just the same way the USGA always has.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I think there are times and places for added length. I don't think it's the answer to everything. I don't think you can go and add 200 yards on a golf course and say, "There, we're good for a few years." I think that, you know, I like to see if you want a player to hit it to a certain area, because that's where they hit it 230 years ago, okay. You can move the tee back some, but you can do other things to get a player to hit it there. Or if he does want to try and hit it to a different area, make it more difficult with, you know, bunkers or trees or -- I mean, there's all kind of things. I think throwing in another tee box is the least creative way and the least strategic way of making the golf course more difficult.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I've thought about it. You know, playing two events there -- I could probably go either on Sunday or Monday the week of. So I'm a three-practice-round guy, anyways. Unless something changes, then I'll probably just wait until the week of.

JUSTIN LEONARD: This coming Monday? Really? Can you get me in? Is it a shotgun start? Nice. (Laughter.)

JUSTIN LEONARD: Okay. I'll be there.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I think that there's a significance, not because of the money -- from a personal view: Because it's in Dallas, my hometown, and because this is Byron Nelson's golf tournament. Those are the two things that I put if I -- and hopefully I will some day, if not this week, win this event. Those are the reasons it will be special for me, because I grew up out here; when I was eight years old, coming to the junior clinic and walking D.A. Weibring and Peter Jacobsen do their deal, and now I'm helping out with the junior clinic. You know, those kind of things are the reasons why this event is special to me. I think it is special to everybody else in the field for, you know, somewhat the same reasons, because of Byron Nelson's involvement with this event, what he's meant to the game of golf, and what he's meant to us as PGA TOUR professionals. You know, I think everybody looks at this event maybe a little differently than the other non-major events.