home

jobs

	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE HONDA CLASSIC

March 10, 2004

Justin Leonard

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA

JOE CHEMYCZ: We welcome Justin Leonard to the interview area, the 2003 Honda Classic Champion.

Justin, talk a little bit about your year so far and how it's progressed and how you're playing.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Next question. (Laughs). I'm not playing great. It's okay. I'm working on a couple of things in my swing. I've played some really good holes in stretches and I hit a few off line. Trying to tighten that up a little bit and hopefully this week, it will come together a little better than it was last week.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Anything specific that's causing you problems?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I haven't seen Butch in a while. I worked with him at La Costa. I've just kind of gotten out of sync with a couple of things, so trying to get the club going more down the line. Everything has caught on but driving the ball . I haven't driven the ball as well the last couple of weeks as I usually do or as I should.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Back at a comfortable surrounding here, talk about the golf course and what you saw in the practice round today.

JUSTIN LEONARD: The golf course is pretty good. It sets up really well off the tee. You've got to be able to work the ball both directions and some good lines off the tee and everything.

You know, a couple of the greens are a little severe, I think, but everybody's going to have to get through those holes.

But the golf course should be more difficult than last year, and just wait and see what the weather has in store for us.

Q. What do you mean "severe," and is there a particular green that you're talking about?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, I think 3 is pretty severe for a 245 yard par 3. Trying to figure out where they are going to putt the pins. The right side of the green, it just goes up and down, looks like something I skied down a couple of months ago.

You know, there's a couple of times today I thought I hit pretty good shots and the ball ended up feeding off the green. But, you know, I think it's real important not to short side yourself this week because you can have some really difficult chips because the ball does run a pretty good distance off the greens. So if you leave yourself some room to chip and play from, it won't be as bad.

Q. Does the severity remind you of anything else?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No.

Q. Close?

JUSTIN LEONARD: (Laughs). No.

Q. How much of a guessing game is it when it's a new course, nobody's seen it and you have no past history to figure out where the pin positions are going to be?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, everybody is pretty much on an even field as far as that's concerned. I think with these greens, it's pretty easy to find four pins that they will probably use because the way the greens are contoured and things, there's not a whole lot of options.

You know, I don't think figuring out where the pins will be will be that difficult.

Q. How fast are the greens playing? What's the speed?

JUSTIN LEONARD: They are beautiful. I can't you know, I would guess 10 or 10 and a half. This might be the best conditioned golf course we've played all year.

Q. Did you consciously decide to make changes since last year, and why did you do that?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I made changes because I was doing some bad things. So it's more corrections, not really trying to change my swing. Just get back to swinging better, hitting the ball better.

Q. At what point, if it happened during last year, at what point did you decide to make those corrections?

JUSTIN LEONARD: This was two weeks ago at La Costa that I saw Butch Harmon. I wasn't swinging very well at it. I was coming across the ball too much. So we worked on getting the club going more down the line. Again, this is just two weeks ago.

Q. When had you seen Butch prior to that?

JUSTIN LEONARD: TOUR Championship.

Q. Do you know what you're doing that you need him to reinforce, or did it surprise you when he said this is what's going on?

JUSTIN LEONARD: It didn't surprise me. I wasn't hitting that well. I had just three weeks off. And I know what I'm doing, and I can I know after a shot if I've done it or not. And again, I'm doing it better with the irons than I am with the driver. So if I can get to driving the ball better this week, then, you know, I think I'll start seeing some better results.

Q. Is this a course where the guys that have the GIRs are going to be up on the leaderboard, or putting; is there any one element of the game if you do well ...

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, I think hitting a lot of greens will help this week. There are some places where you can play aggressively. The par 5s are somewhat reachable. I guess it depends really on the wind.

You know, you can certainly score on some holes. The finishing holes, the last six holes will be pretty difficult, no matter where the wind is. You know, you get downwind and it's difficult to keep the ball in the right place on the greens.

Q. Honda is notorious for its wind; do you see in the design, do you see that factored in if it's really windy?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I don't know. You know, if it gets really windy with the greens as severe as they are, it's going to be very, very difficult, for sure.

Q. What was your winning score last year, 23, 25? 24. I don't think many people would have taken you for a guy that does his best at 23 , 24 , 25 under. Is that kind of a fallacy, different courses for horses type thing?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I think any given week, anybody can shoot those kind of scores. I don't think there's you look at Hilton Head and Davis Love. I wouldn't put those two together. I know he hits it straight for a long hitter, but still, length is his strength and length has nothing to do with Hilton Head.

So I think that it's just a matter of getting comfortable, and if you drive it well and you put it well, you're going to have a good week.

Q. No matter where it is?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah.

Q. Is one practice round enough when you come in here blind? The only hole you know is 18; right?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, I was here we were down here for Thanksgiving and I played it then. I played again today.

No, I don't think one practice round is enough. I think after tomorrow, I'll feel a lot more comfortable.

Q. What will you do like with Whistling Straits?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I don't know. I've never seen it. From what I hear, I don't know if there's a whole lot you can do. (Laughter.) That's the kind of course, you may be better off not playing it as much.

But, no, I think a course like that, play Monday and Tuesday and just see how you feel.

Q. You wouldn't go in early or a month ahead?

JUSTIN LEONARD: If I was nearby. But I'm not the kind to fly across the country to go play a practice round.

Q. Have you ever done that, any major?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Pinehurst, but I was somewhat in the area.

Q. Augusta?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No.

Q. You never do that?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No.

Q. Does the TOUR listen to the players when it comes to suggestions about course setup and how much do they

JUSTIN LEONARD: (Turning to Joe). Let me turn that question over. (Laughs).

Q. And how much, if at all, do you feel like you're listened to?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I feel like we're listened to, to an extent. I think if there's an overwhelming majority of guys that say this or that, I don't think that it will affect setup that current year that you're playing. If you go out on a Thursday and they have got a couple tough pins, well, the pins are still going to be difficult, but they probably won't go back to those places the following year.

But, you know, again this, course is new for everybody. So we're out there trying it figure things out and so is the PGA TOUR staff.

Q. And should they receive even more input for THE PLAYERS Championship on how that course should be setup, and do you think there should be any changes to the way they are setting that one up?

JUSTIN LEONARD: You know, I have my own opinions and I'm sure we all probably differ on what our opinions are. I don't think that golf course needs a lot of rough. I've love to see it fairway wall to wall to where you do run into some places and have to hit some shots.

I think the TPC in the past couple of years has really brought the fairways in and the rough is four to five inches deep. If you miss a fairway by a yard, you're hitting a wedge out. That's not always fun.

Q. Is it worse now than the year you won?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Is it worse now?

Q. Than the year you won.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I'm not going to say it's worse but I'm going to say there's more rough than when I won.

Q. And they still haven't filled that lake in around 17.

JUSTIN LEONARD: No.

Q. Craig Parry's swing, Johnny Miller kind of made some fun of it. Out here on TOUR, how sensitive are guys about their swings and is talking about somebody's swing almost like talking about their wife; you have to be careful what you say.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Depends on who you're talking about. You know, everybody has their own ideas. Certain guys are more sensitive than others. If you say one little thing about a guy's swing or game, he might come find you in the locker room and others will just, you know, brush it off.

Q. Do we get too caught up in classic kind of swings versus functional?

JUSTIN LEONARD: "We," who is we?

Q. Media.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I've never had that impression.

Q. How sensitive are guys about Johnny Miller?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Probably not as sensitive as you might think.

Q. Really?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah.

Q. In your mind, what are the parameters, what should an on course guy talk about, and criticizing swings is that part of it?

JUSTIN LEONARD: You know, I think you can criticize but you also have to point out to the viewer why it works. Again, it's his opinion. That's what he's paid to give. But at the same time, I think if the guy who is truly thinking about what's the viewer watching and I didn't see the comment and I hit balls next to Craig Parry and I've seen his swing. Sure, it's not the best looking swing, but mechanically it's pretty solid; and he gets the club back to the ball the same way and that's what's important. As long as you explain those things okay, well this looks maybe odd, but this is why it works. Then I think you're informing the viewer.

Q. What do you think on this course winning score would be versus last year?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I don't know. With the conditions we had last year, I would guess somewhere, 15 to 18.

Q. Can you just talk about winning last year, how special it was with all of your in laws watching you win?

JUSTIN LEONARD: It was very special. For a lot of them, it was their first, not only their first time to see me play, but the first time to see a golf tournament. So the ticket requests went up this year quite a bit. But I'm trying to play down everybody's expectations.

I mean, it was fun. It was fun to win and have her family down here and get to see everybody, because living in Texas, we don't get to see her family as often as we would like.

Q. You've had a child since you won last year, has it been an adjustment juggling fatherhood and your career?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Certainly it has. My career took another step back on the priority list, which you know, I haven't played great but it certainly hasn't hurt my golf game. I think it makes it easier to play. I know when I leave this golf course and whatever happens, I leave here. I think that will only help me in the long run.

Q. With Davis Love and the heckler at The Match Play, did Davis do the right thing?

JUSTIN LEONARD: He probably did. And I haven't talked to Davis about it, but I would imagine he probably would rather do it a different way than calling out the person himself. I think certainly we're not we don't need to deal with that kind of stuff. And for people who say, you know, I read Ian O'Connor like everybody else, and for somebody to say those things, actually has no idea about the game of golf, about our sport, about the rules and etiquette that we adhere to, and that's just not go place on the golf course. I think Davis would probably tell you, he'd rather have handled it a different way.

You know, if he does that playing anybody else in the world, nobody knows it happened, and because he's playing Tiger in the finals, it's this huge deal.

But for people to say some of the things like what I read in USA Today, it ticks me off pretty hard whatever, it ticks me off.

Q. You had a conversation with a man about a cell phone at Doral one year; is that something you regretted or did you see that as a humorous incident more than anything?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I don't even remember the incident.

Q. You read the cell phone's policy off the guy's ticket.

JUSTIN LEONARD: That was Greensboro. That was humorous.

Q. But you were making a point, weren't you?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, sure, but I doubt there's a whole lot I do where I'm not trying to make some point somewhere. (Laughter.)

But, you know, yeah, a guy is sitting there next to the ropes talking on his phone, I'm going to say something or do something.

Q. Do you think the ideal situation in these cases is for somebody, either rules officials, secure, volunteers to intercede with the situation before the player feels like he's got to confront?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Absolutely.

Q. AND whose responsibility do you think it is before it gets to the player level?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, it's probably a TOUR official's or a marshal's. He's standing there and he doesn't know what the guy has been doing all day long.

And part of it may be the fans. Somebody needs to tell the guy, hey again, I haven't talked to Davis, but I assume he was saying something right while Davis was over the ball. You know, somebody's got to give the guy a nudge and say to this guy that doesn't belong here. Root for Tiger all you want, but let his opponent play his shot.

Q. How often have you felt like someone was just giving you a hard time that day?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, a couple of times, but it was always after I hit a shot. So, nothing I could do. After thinking about it, I was like, "You know what, you're right, pal." (Laughter.) So, in my case, they were always correct.

Q. What was it like in Phoenix or Tucson

JUSTIN LEONARD: Phoenix.

Q. I know they are bonkers for Phil down there, but was it just a pro Phil type gallery?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah.

Q. Nothing directed towards you or was some of it?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, there were things directed at me but not it was between shots or walking up to a green. It was never anything over the ball.

Q. Not pre shot routine or anything?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No.

Q. Are there tournaments on this tour, what examples are there where the fans would intercede

JUSTIN LEONARD: You just want me to have a little piece of paper in my locker later this week, don't you? (Laughter.) Calling everybody out.

Q. where fans would maybe quietly intercede with somebody, knowledgeable golf fans like Augusta or Bay Hill?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Augusta is a perfect example. They would, yeah, they would take care of it.

Q. British?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, well they would pummel the guy over there. (Laughter.)

Q. Do you think that in your mind, the golf course is your office?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No, I don't. (Looking out the window.) I think of it as a golf course.

Q. Some guys say

JUSTIN LEONARD: I understand. Trying to make an analogy, and I don't think it works. Because I don't go to your office to relax and enjoy a fine four hours of writing columns with my buddies betting on two writes the best column. So I don't equate the two.

Q. Do you think the more money that comes in this game is going to continue to breed this type of fan?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No.

Q. Very positive.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I don't think the money has anything to do with it. I think that golf has gotten more popular in the last, certainly in the last five years, since some guy named Tiger came out here and started playing.

You know, I think, really, the fans have gotten better over the last two to three years. Those first couple of years when he started playing, there were people out here that had no idea about the game, and I think those people have become educated.

You know what, and that guy, from the very little that I know about it, I'm sure he's an educated golfer, okay. But he's just a huge Tiger Woods fan and he was probably rooting a little too hard for him.

Q. So you're not concerned about alcohol consumption or anything like that on the covers?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, wait a second, that's a different topic.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Justin, thank you. Play well this week.

End of FastScripts.

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297