BOB HOPE CHRYSLER CLASSIC

January 21, 2004

Justin Leonard

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Justin, why don't we just begin quickly here with a couple of comments from you about your round and then we'll go into a couple of questions.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Okay. You know, I hit the ball pretty well today. I'm not really pleased with it, but I hit it well and all of a sudden -- I didn't hit a close shot, but I seemed to hit it 12, 15 feet and made a few putts. I thought I hit it better as the round went on.

Q. The last couple of years you've been Top-10 here and you've come out and started with 65 today. Is this just a great place for you to start a year?

JUSTIN LEONARD: This is a great place for me to start. Actually, I played in the Mercedes.

I enjoy coming to this event, especially this time of year when I haven't been playing as much. The weather, other than a couple of hours this morning, is usually very good. It's a real nice atmosphere. I enjoy playing with my amateur partners. I enjoy playing the celebrity rotation. It's fun, and the golf course is in perfect shape. There are no excuses. I think all of those things combined have helped me to play well here the last couple of years.

Q. Not everybody enjoys playing in the celebrity rotation. What is it about it that you like?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I played with Michael Chang and Michael Bolton today. I got to pick Michael Chang's brain all day long about tennis and what is this tournament like and what is this player like. I probably wore the guy out. I certainly enjoyed playing with him more than he enjoyed playing with me.

I enjoy that and I look forward to seeing some of those guys from different professions, maybe they are entertainers and sports figures. It's just fun to see those guys.

Q. What was playing with Michael Bolton like? Did you get to sing with him or ask him to change his music repetoire?

JUSTIN LEONARD: You know what, his game has really improved. I told him in the round today, "I played with you a couple of years ago and you were awful. I really was not looking forward to playing with you again."

He played great today and he's worked on his game. He's also very busy. It's nice for these guys to take time out of their busy careers to come here and enjoy the game with us.

Q. Talk about the driver testing. Have you gone through that process yet?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I did. I went through it this week. I walked by the test trailer on Monday and went in there and unfortunately, my driver, it checked out. I was hoping that was the reason why I was hitting it so far.

Q. Is this something that you think is valid on TOUR or do you think it's kind of being blown over, out of proportion? Give me your thoughts on that.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I think it's -- I don't think there's much of an issue. I think, you know, we trust the manufacturers to give us equipment that's conforming. I think so far, that's been the case. Everything that's been tested is conforming.

I think it's probably been made a bigger deal than it really is.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Justin, let's quickly go through your birdies and bogeys, please.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I started on No. 10 and I birdied 15. I had a 7-iron to about 15 feet.

I birdied 16. I hit an 8-iron to 15 feet.

I bogeyed 17. I hit a 5-iron short of the green and chipped it about five feet past and missed the putt.

I birdied 18. I hit a 4-wood just over the green and chipped it up to about two feet.

I birdied 1, pitched from about 40 yards to five feet.

3, I hit a sand wedge to about eight feet.

I birdied 6. I hit an 8-iron to about 12 feet.

7, I hit a 6-iron to four feet.

No. 8, I was short right of the green in two and pitched it to about a foot.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you, Justin, for joining us and we'll talk to you later.

End of FastScripts.