THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY SOUTHERN COMPANY AND MERCEDES-BENZ

October 31, 1998

Justin Leonard

JUSTIN LEONARD: Played pretty good. I got off to a good start today. Hit the first fairway, which was the first time I'd done that. You know, got off to a good start. I birdied 3 and 4. I made a good -- actually chipped in for par on No. 5 from just short, off the edge of the green. I had a good chance at 6. Bogeyed No. 8. I hit it in the left rough, then hit it in the front bunker, didn't get it up-and-down. Bogeyed 10. Hit an awful drive short and left, chipped it out, hit a 7-iron 15 feet and missed it. Birdied 12. I hit a pitching wedge to about two feet. Bogeyed 13. I caught a flyer out of the first cut of rough on the right, hit it over the green, chipped it down about 12 feet and missed it. Birdied 15. I got it up-and-down out of the front green-side bunker. Birdied 16. I hit a 4-iron about ten feet. Parred 17 and 18.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I felt we had a pretty consistent breeze today with what we've had in the last two days. Playing a little earlier in the day, you know - it seemed like Thursday it died down a little bit, the last couple holes - playing earlier in the day, I don't think it's going to do that. But the greens dried out a little more. Seems like the pin placements, the hole is always -- it's never flat around the hole. The hole is always sitting at some angle to where if you're not going straight uphill, then you've got to like try to hit it in the side of the hole, because it just -- it's just amazing. Your speed has got to be perfect, your line has got to be perfect. It really kind of slings the hole up. You have to be putting from the right spot on the greens. It makes the golf course very difficult.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, I got a lot out of my round on Thursday. I was really pleased. I only hit like eight fairways. So, you know, I got a couple good breaks, made some really good ups and downs, birdied the holes that I needed to. Yesterday I got off to such a rotten start, then I finished poorly. You know, right there in the middle of the round, I played pretty good. I figured that was kind of the equalizer for Thursday. So I was pretty much even going into today. You know, I played pretty good. Hopefully I can come out and shoot a low one tomorrow.

But I played well. I took some time off. I think that's the biggest thing I learned this year, was that I went and took three weeks off and came back and played well. That's something I've always been a little weary of, was taking more than a week off. That's probably the most important thing I learned this year. You know, then I came back and I played pretty well. It's nice to end the year on a good note, but I didn't come here thinking, "Well, I need to finish with a bang," whatever. You can make up your own little sayings, things, whatever (laughter). I just said that to get you to type more (laughter).

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, the pin's up. It's a much smaller area you're hitting to. The tee is up, too. The hole is only -- I think I had 202. You know, I hit a good 3-iron. Jeff Sluman hit a 2-iron. At least you're down from a 3-wood to hitting longer irons. But, you know, your target is definitely smaller. You don't really want to hit it up past the hole. So I think you'll see a lot of play out of those two bunkers. They're probably done by now.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I'll try to dream about the TPC and the British Open, the Kemper Open, I guess. Hopefully I can just come out, get off to a good start. It's a difficult golf course. It's tough to do that when par is a good score. We'll see if I get a low round.

JUSTIN LEONARD: No, it's tough. It is tough to be aggressive because the greens are so firm. I won't really tee it up thinking about I've got to make five birdies on the front side to win the tournament. I'm just going to go out and see how I feel. Hopefully I'll feel good and I can try to play aggressive.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, it could be true. Depends what happens on the front nine. You know, if one of those guys goes out and shoots 3- or 4-under, the guys around him don't, then all of a sudden all he has to do is make some pars. What's the line on the Texas game?

JUSTIN LEONARD: What's the over and under on Ricky Williams?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Thanks.