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NORTHERN TRUST OPEN


February 18, 2016


Justin Leonard


Pacific Palisades, California

Q. Looked like you had the putter going pretty well, 25 putts.
JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, it was good. That's probably a little misleading. Quite a few of those, I'm a foot or a yard off a green and from 20 feet in putting. I don't necessarily consider that an up-and-down or a one-putt but I made all the little ones I needed to make and I made a couple putts outside 15 or 20 feet on the last few holes. It certainly felt good.

Q. 68 ties for your career low at Riviera. Did you feel like this was coming?
JUSTIN LEONARD: You know, not really, but I felt like so far, the three tournaments I've played since the break -- well, this is the third, but my practice has been good. I just haven't really been able to get it from Tuesday and Wednesday into Thursday. And you know, I felt like I was doing some good things, but really just want to come out and enjoy playing such a great golf course, and that was my main goal today. To go out and play well made all that happen very easily.

Q. Is this the kind of course that fits your game?
JUSTIN LEONARD: No, but I really like it. From where we're playing, it gets pretty long for me. But you know, I hit a lot of good mid and long irons today, you know, into the right spots, even when I missed it and managed my game very well. So when I can do that and make a couple putts, you know, I feel like I can kind of play anywhere. But this isn't one that I would say this is right up my alley.

But I do, I love coming here. Just the strategy of it, the shot values from off the tee into the greens, chipping and putting, I think it's all fantastic. So that's the reason I come here and play.

Q. The 12th hole on the back is playing one of the hardest on the back today. When you were on the green, you talked about taking advantage of some of those holes but you almost made that putt. What do you make of how you played that hole, being one of the tougher challenges out there?
JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, it's a hard tee shot, playing into the wind, you really need to put the ball in the fairway and then the pin is so far back today, I think I had 210 or 205 or 215. I can't remember what the number was. But just basically trying to hit a good 3-iron in the middle of the green somewhere, and was able to put it just about middle of the green and 2-putt. That's one of those holes, you make 4 there, you feel like you're gaining on the field for sure.

Q. All the guys said that it played differently today than in practice rounds. Do you sense that?
JUSTIN LEONARD: Oh, yeah.

Q. Do you think experience helps in making that adjustment quickly?
JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, I mean, the last three or four years, seems like the golf course has been very firm. This is the way I used to remember it playing earlier in my career, softer. I would love to see the fairways dry out and see the greens stay a little on the softer side. When these greens get really firm, my 3- and 4-irons don't want to stay on the green very often.

So I'd like to see the fairways dry out, but the greens, you know, stay a little bit on the softer side.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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