WGC NEC INVITATIONAL

August 24, 2000

Justin Leonard

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, it got progressively better as the day went on. I didn't drive the ball very well today; and you know, made some good up-and-downs on the front nine. And then from about No. 11 -- or No. 12 on, I hit the ball pretty well. Birdies: 2, I hit a 3-wood second shot up to the right side of the green. Chipped on about six feet, and made that for birdie. 11, I hooked it in the rough off the tee. Hit a 9-iron about 15 feet and made that. 16, hit a pitching wedge third shot to about eight feet. 17, hit a pitching wedge second shot to about eight feet.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I have no idea. So, I think that's why I need to go to the range and try to figure out what it was that subconsciously I hit upon. You know, I hit the ball left, I hit it right -- scared some people. I like to make sure the marshals are doing their job, I guess. Then, you know, I hit a good drive on a few holes. And all of the sudden, on 13, I hit a really good drive, which is one of the harder driving holes. And then I followed that up with another good drive on 14, and it just kind of -- somehow, I got in with that. I don't know what it was. I'm going to go try and figure it out.

JUSTIN LEONARD: My putting was very good today. You can't see it from the score card, but I made a lot of good 5- and 6-footers on the front nine. And my putting has been good recently. It's just the ball-striking has not been there. But I've felt very good putting the last three or four weeks. You know, it's nice to continue to make a few today.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I had not gotten an indication either way. I felt that I had a good chance of being picked. Loren, obviously, he's had a great year this year. He's played some Ryder Cups and things like that. Zinger, it's hard to find fault with either of the picks. You know, Zinger has made a great comeback. He should have been on that team in '94. You know, we all know about his experience in Ryder Cup format. You know, those are two solid picks. It's pretty hard to question that. You know, I think if I had been picked, you know, I think it would have been fine, too. But, you know, I was in good position to make the team this year, and I just haven't played well. So I can't -- you know, there's no sour grapes. I just should have played better and not had to worry about getting picked.

JUSTIN LEONARD: If I had really been playing well, I'd be disappointed. But I have not been. It's been a pretty lousy year; and, you know, of course, that tournament is a long ways off. You know, who knows. I might be playing great by then. It's not something that's really had my focus, because I've just been trying to kind of find my game a little bit and work on things. You know, that was not my main focus. My main focus was playing better, not so much to make the team, but just to play better and have some good results.

JUSTIN LEONARD: You know, like you said, I hope that the team that's selected right now -- I hope everybody plays, because it's a fun event. You get to spend the time with the other guys; it's a lot of fun. I think you don't want to see somebody injured; and obviously, there's some injuries right now. And hopefully they will not go for that long. But yeah, I know that's a possibility. I'm going to keep playing, not because of that, but because I want to and I've got some things I still would like to accomplish this year. But, sure, I know that it's a possibility. But I hope that it doesn't happen.

JUSTIN LEONARD: My game has gotten pretty stale. You know, constantly working, but just not quite finding the right things. And, you know, I found it there for a couple weeks before the U.S. Open, and played all right at the U.S. Open, and then, you know, I've struggled since. You know, I think it's -- it's hard to say. There for a while, it was something a little bit different every week. And now it just seems that, you know, I hit a lot of good shots. If you watch me play 12 or 14 holes, you would probably think I was playing really good. But I hit too many bad ones. You know, it only takes three or four bad ones during a round to turn a 68 into a 72 or 73 or 74. Today, I had some bad ones, but I was able to recover. So my key right now is just to eliminate those bad swings and try to get more consistent with them.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, I think this is my 21st event and I am hoping to get in six more. I'm going to play quite a bit this fall. I'm not tired physically or mentally. I still look forward to playing. I'm still working hard. You know, I don't know if that's a by-product of a little bit different schedule that I've played this year, or that I just have not played as many weekends; but, you know, I want to keep playing. I'm enthusiastic about it. And sure, there's plenty of time to turn the year into, you know, what was a lousy year into, you know, something good, maybe even great. But I'm the one that has to go out there and do it, and -- but hopefully, that's my goal right now.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yes, that, and trying to win a tournament. But I think I have to find the consistency before I get to the second.

JUSTIN LEONARD: No. They just haven't looked for my ball. Rough's pretty deep out there.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Thanks.