"I just really appreciate playing well. I'm having a lot of fun playing, playing without a lot of swing thoughts and playing with some confidence."

Justin Leonard
Media Interviews

SUNDAY
Lost consolation match to Henrik Stenson, 3 and 2


Q. Your goal for the week was to better your overall standings, maybe to get into the CA Championship; you've done well in that quest?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yes, I have, but it is hard to lose two matches there right at the end of the week.


Q. Any keys to the match today?

JUSTIN LEONARD: No, I just didn't play good. Henrik played very well and got off to a great start, which was always going to be tough for me to get back into things. I tried hard, but I just didn't play good enough.



SATURDAY AFTERNOON
Lost semifinal match to Stewart Cink, 4 and 3

SATURDAY MORNING
Won quarterfinal match with Vijay Singh, 1 up


Q. Tough match out there today with Cink getting off to such a quick start. I think he shot 29 on the front.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah. He played great on the front.


Q. So did you.

JUSTIN LEONARD: I was playing okay. And then he cooled off a little bit. I had some chances on the back nine. For some reason, kind of all day today, I struggled reading the greens. I hit a lot of good putts and hit a lot of putts that went over the edges. But I had a pretty tough task after that front nine he played.


Q. Any putt in particular there on 10, 11 and 12 that might have made a difference?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, yeah, any one of them. I felt like if I could just get something to drop they'd start going because I was hitting a lot of good putts. But for some reason I really struggled reading the greens and I was off just that much.


Q. I know you're playing the consolation match tomorrow, but it's been a good week and you're still on that roll. You have to have a pretty positive attitude?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, it has been a good week. Right now I'm disappointed with this afternoon. I've got to get ready and come out and play tomorrow and I'll start focusing on that here in a couple of hours.

"They're giving away $8 million and a ton of World Ranking points."

FRIDAY
Won Round 3 match with Stuart Appleby, 3 and 2


Q. Eight birdies in 11 holes?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, I played really good today, and it was starting at 10. Stuart made eagle and then birdied 11 and 12. And I just felt like I had to keep making birdies just to maintain somewhat of a lead. And then hit a really good shot into 13 and a great shot into 14, and then closed out with a couple of pars.


Q. You've been playing really well lately, and I know you've played well in this match play format. Is there something different in your game?

JUSTIN LEONARD: It's a lot of things different. I keep thinking back to a year ago and where my game was and where I was mentally. I think I just really appreciate playing well. I'm having a lot of fun playing, playing without a lot of swing thoughts and playing with some confidence. Those things make it fun to play.


Q. You like to switch it up a little bit with some match play? Is this something you like? You have done well.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, I haven't fared that well in this tournament. This is as far as I've gotten. But I've had fun when I've played Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups. There's only one round that's singles. This is a different animal. I think I have an all new respect for tennis pros, because they do this every week, go head-to-head. And you can play well and get knocked out early. So I have a whole new respect for those guys and girls.


Q. Can you carry over the confidence from today to tomorrow?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, you can. It's fairly easy to do. At the same time, everybody who's playing -- everybody who wins their match is gaining some kind of confidence through that. Yeah, it's pretty easy to carry over from day-to-day, especially in match play.



THURSDAY
Won Round 2 match with Lee Westwood, 2 and 1


Q. The second round, another great match, another good win for you. Do you feel like the confidence just has to keep getting better?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah. I played really good today, and Lee played really good. We both made, I don't know, six or seven birdies or something. I hit the ball well. I got a little sloppy there on 11, 12 and 13. But made a nice putt at 15 and then a really good putt at 17.


Q. 15 and 17, those were kind of what obviously helped you win in the end. Any turning points early? Any big shots early on?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Not really. The biggest turning point, I got to 2-up through 8 and Lee birdied 8 and 9 to get it back even. And then we both made birdies at 10 and kind of traded pars and made a couple nice up-and-downs. I think the difference was really making the putt at 15.


Q. Down to the final 16 now; it's got to feel good.

JUSTIN LEONARD: It does feel good. It's nice to win a couple of matches. And I think I'm finding a little bit of rhythm with match play, as is everybody else, after a couple of days. So it's good. There is some good golf being played and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.


Q. You're pretty familiar with Stuart (Appleby) through the years?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, I've played some Presidents Cups against Stuart. Obviously he's a great player and playing very well. So I'm sure it will be another close match.



WEDNESDAY
Won Round 1 match with Geoff Ogilvy, 2 and 1


Q. Obviously it's the first round, but is it harder almost to get a win in the first round and get that monkey off your back in a match play format like this?

JUSTIN LEONARD: Well, I haven't played match play since the -- well, I guess this event two years ago. Yeah, it's a little bit different mindset. I felt playing a player like Geoff who's had such a great record in this event, I definitely had the underdog status and kind of nothing to lose. But I played real well, just played solid and made a few putts.


Q. Going along with that, everyone has been talking about how this is a bomber's course. You played well at Torrey Pines. You've been able to even find your way how to do well on some of the longer courses than the guys that grip it and rip it.

JUSTIN LEONARD: Yeah, well, the golf course is firm. My ball flight -- I can get some roll out of these fairways, and I'm able to get to some of the par-5s. There is some room to drive it off the tee, but this is more of a second-shot golf course, and it helps hitting in from the fairway.


Q. Is it a good match play course, short par-4s and reachable par-5s?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I definitely think it's a good match play course. You've got a couple par-4s that you can drive, and three of the par-5s are pretty reachable, depending on the wind. It sets up well for this format.


Q. Obviously you ended last year strong, played this year really strong. Is it fun playing golf right now?

JUSTIN LEONARD: It is. It is fun. It's fun to come out and play with confidence, which I didn't get to do a whole lot last year, nor the year before. So it's nice. I feel like my game is pretty simple right now; I don't have a lot of thoughts, and I'm playing with confidence. You're right, it definitely makes it fun.


Q. Are there any goals right now that you have, either this week or looking forward?

JUSTIN LEONARD: I'm working real hard to get in the WGC event at Doral and to get in the Masters. My goal the first part of the year was to get in this event, and I've done that. Now we need to get in the top 50 so I can get in those events.


Q. What's special about the World Golf Championships?

JUSTIN LEONARD: You know what's special is they're giving away $8 million and a ton of World Ranking points. Obviously they're very select and limited fields. But those first two are two pretty good reasons.