BELL CANADIAN OPEN

September 6, 2002

Ian Leggatt

MODERATOR: Congratulations on a great round. How much fun was that coming in on that Back 9 with a 30, with the crowd support you were receiving out there?

IAN LEGGATT: It was great. You know, I played equally well yesterday, but all of a sudden I started rolling a couple putts in, hit it close a couple times. The crowd definitely got pretty excited. It was a lot of fun.

MODERATOR: Take us through your round, then we'll open it up for questions.

IAN LEGGATT: Started on 10. Hit 3-iron, 9-iron to about 20 feet behind the hole and made it for birdie.

Hit a driver in the left rough on 11, couldn't get to the green, hit a bunker shot out to about three feet and missed it. Actually 360'd right around the hole, lipped out.

Next hole I hit a 5-iron to about 15, 18 feet, just missed that for birdie.

Next hole I hit a 3-wood and a pitching wedge to about 20 feet, 2-putted for par.

Next hole, hit driver, 4-iron in the left bunker, hit it out to a couple inches for birdie.

Next hole, driver in the fairway, little pitching wedge to about 15 feet, left it short just hanging on the front edge for birdie.

Next hole, hit driver, pitching wedge, to about 15, 18 feet, rolled it right over the edge for eagle.

Next hole, I hit 7-iron. I pulled it left of the green, got it up and down for birdie -- par, rather.

Next hole, hit it in the right rough. Had a decent lie. I couldn't chip it down there. I tried to hit it over the hazard, ended up hitting it into the grandstand to the left. Chipped it onto the green to about eight feet and lipped it out for par.

1, I hit driver, 9-iron. I hit it in a divot actually in the fairway. Hit a 9-iron to about five or six feet, actually missed that one for birdie.

Hit 9-iron on 2 to about 18 feet, made that for birdie.

I'm trying to think now. Next hole I hit 3-wood, pitching wedge to about eight feet behind the hole, made that for birdie.

Next hole, I hit 3-wood off the tee, lob wedge to about 20 feet, made that for birdie.

Next hole I hit a 6-iron on the par 3 to about three or four feet, made that for birdie.

Then I hit it in the hazard right on No. 7. Dropped it out to the side, hit a 4-iron just short of the green, got it up and down for par.

Then I hit a driver and a sand wedge to about three feet on 8 for birdie.

Then I hit a driver and a 7-iron to about eight or 10 feet for eagle on 9, and lipped it out for eagle, made birdie.

Q. No. 4, can you repeat that again?

IAN LEGGATT: No. 4, I think I missed a hole in there. 4, 3-wood and a lob wedge to about 10 feet and missed it for birdie. Sorry, I missed a hole in there.

Q. I know you don't want to get ahead of yourself, but you have a chance to do something that no Canadian has done for almost 50 years. How would winning our National Open rank for you along with the majors?

IAN LEGGATT: It's right there. There's no doubt about it. As far as, you know, everybody in Canada views it, it's our biggest tournament that can happen here, without a doubt.

You know, for me to be able to do something special like that would be equal with probably winning, you know, a Masters or a US Open or something, for sure.

Q. Last year on the Canadian Tour, nine years on that tour, maybe a little restless, now to come in here playing at this level. Can you talk about that a little bit?

IAN LEGGATT: It's a training ground. I spent a lot of years getting ready for a time like this. Every guy will come in here and let you know about the three- and four-footers they were holing on the putting green to win the US Open, whatever it might be, Canadian Open.

You know, I really felt like I was probably ready to come out here seven or eight years ago. I really had trouble with TOUR School. It just used to beat me up. To finally get through that and get out here, you know, it was a stumbling block that I finally got over.

Q. As well as you played today, do you feel like you left a couple out there someplace?

IAN LEGGATT: For sure, you know, including yesterday. I should have shot 5- or 6-under yesterday, no problem, as well. You know, going through my round, you know, legitimately, all goes well, you make all those putts and everything like that, you know, I shoot 60 or 59.

I'm happy with the way I played. I'm happy the way I'm leading into the weekend. I'm hitting it well. I'm not getting ahead of myself or anything.

I feel like I got that same mindset I did, you know, when I was at Tucson. I'm looking forward to the weekend.

Q. Along that line, when you were teeing off No. 10 today, Weir was in the process of chipping in on 18. The crowd was building to this crescendo, almost a huge ovation. It was right in the middle of your swing. You didn't back off. I counted five lip-outs. Can you talk about your level of concentration, was it different than the way you were used to?

IAN LEGGATT: I think when you're playing well, you know, it's just a matter of how well you're going to putt today, how low you're going to shoot.

You know, I was a little disappointed with, you know, the score that I shot yesterday, but I was very happy with the way I played.

I felt good about it going into today. You know, when you play well, you kind of get in your own little world out there. I could hear people yelling and screaming, all the rest of it. But, you know, I'm focused on what I'm doing. I'm out playing golf and they're watching. That's the way you sort of look at it.

Q. You mentioned you tried to focus them out. Can you build on the crowd's enthusiasm?

IAN LEGGATT: Sure. You know, it's better than the other way: nobody's watching you (laughter). That's like it's been the last 10 years.

But, you know, like I said, you know, Mike is the same way, we spent a lot of years playing by ourselves, I guess (laughter).

This is what you want. You know, there's no doubt, I hear everybody yelling and screaming. I know I'm playing well, and I'm not going to get in my own way out there. I kind of do what I need to do, try and have fun at it.

Q. Are you conscious of how the other Canadians are doing throughout the tournament? Do you follow that?

IAN LEGGATT: You know, I just sort of glanced at the leaderboard a couple times. I saw Richard played good. I was pretty happy about that because he's been struggling this year. I know Mike shot 5-under. Other than that, just looking at the leaderboard is all I know.

I'm always -- if I have weeks off, the only reason why I buy a sports page is to see ow Mike, Glen or Richard is doing. That's about it - and the Blue Jays (laughter). That's kind of the way it is. I really want them to do well. You know, when you're playing well, you've just got to kind of go about your business. Mike, we're both rooting for each other. Same with Glen. Everybody is happy that I'm playing well. I'm happy they're playing well.

They don't cover the Blue Jays in Phoenix (laughter).

Q. Does it mean anything to be recognized as the best player in Canada?

IAN LEGGATT: You know, I think that's something you aspire to. There's no doubt about it. But it's kind of got to a point now where I don't want to be the best player in Canada; I want to be one of the best players in the world.

I have goals that, you know, are beyond being the best player in Canada. I know if I accomplish my goals, then Mike finishes in front of me, that's awesome. That's does not matter to me at all. You know, I'll continually say that we both root for each other. If I finish in the Top 30 this year and I get on The Presidents Cup team, Mike and I, we get to do all that stuff together, Glen as well, doesn't really matter, that's even a bonus.

Q. Tucson, how much does that victory now play a part in the next 36 holes?

IAN LEGGATT: Obviously, I know how to handle myself. I know what I did. I focused on the shot, you know, kind of trusted what I was doing out there. You know, this course -- there's been weeks like at Westchester that I played well. I really sort of -- I don't want to say I don't like the course, but it doesn't fit my eye as much as this place does or Tucson did.

I think, you know, you got a little extra confidence, you're more comfortable with the golf course. I know how I handled myself that week. You know, I might be a -- might be a little less pressure on if Canada had a hockey game on this weekend, but they don't (laughter).

MODERATOR: Congratulations. Good luck the rest of the week.

IAN LEGGATT: Thank you.

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