Leonard looks to cap season of change with comeback victory  PGATOUR.com Contributor SAN ANTONIO -- One round to go. Down by four shots. He'd hoped to close the gap a tad more than the two shots he did Saturday afternoon at the Valero Texas Open -- a 64 usually will accomplish just that -- but you have to wonder if even that matters.  Justin Leonard scrambled his way to a 64 Saturday at LaCantera. (Ferrey/WireImage)
Justin Leonard has been here before. He's come from behind. Five times in his 10 wins, if you're counting. Including the 1997 Open Championship where, well, Jesper Parnevik was the third-round leader. He's led a historic comeback in the Ryder Cup. Can you say four straight birdies and a 45-foot putt heard 'round the world? Heck. He's won this event back-to-back and finished second two other times. So with all due respect to Parnevik, who's leading at 18 under par, and countryman Mathias Gronberg (15 under), the eyes of Texas will indeed be upon Leonard (14 under) in Sunday's final round. They love their home boys here in the Lone Star State and love them even more when they're going for a slice of history -- a third Texas Open title that would tie him with Arnold Palmer for most wins in the event. That he has lots of work to do is an understatement. That he's in contention again -- here or somewhere else -- is a statement, period. It's been a while. Yes, he tied for second at the Buick Open and tied for ninth at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. But two top 10s in a season isn't . . . well, two wins in 2005. Or an Open Championship. Or a PLAYERS Championship. Leonard isn't the same kid who won those two. Nor the same one who came within Davis Love III's rainbow PGA Championship of back-to-back majors in 1997. Or even the one who won back-to-back Texas Opens. Nor the one who was ranked fifth in the world after the 1998 Masters. He's married now, with three children, and ranked 156th in the world. And, honestly, a little less mercurial. "I'm certainly a different person,'' he said, "I ride more of an even keel, I'd say. The lows aren't as low and the highs aren't as high because this is not the most important thing to me anymore like it was back then. "So, you know, am I a different golfer? Probably so. I probably can't tell you how much of that has changed. I can tell you exactly how I've changed as a person and that's been a fun ride.'' And this year? It's been one of change. Three weeks before the Shell Houston Open, Leonard split with swing guru Butch Harmon and went back to long-time instructor Randy Smith. He changed caddies, signing up Brian Smith, and starting working with brain coach Dick Coop. During an opening 67 in Houston, he started seeing putts for the first time in a long while. And it's been a building process ever since. "You know, you can tell me all day long I need to play more aggressively and, you know, do this and do that in order to play well, but until I really get it into my thick head and becomes my own," he said. "You know, that's when I think I see progress and so it wasn't just one person telling me.''
Whatever it was worked. Leonard had thrown out rounds of 65-67-64 here and he's in the final group with Parnevik and Gronberg. His career scoring average here is 67.1, but, depending on the wind, that might not be enough to catch Parnevik, whose new putter has radar-lock on the cups. "Hopefully, I can put some pressure on him,'' Leonard said. Leonard's round was close to perfect Saturday. He went out in 32 and the only time he came close to trouble was at the 10th, when his approach rolled up against the rough. "I honestly didn't know how to play it,'' he said. "I tried to kind of belly a wedge and it went about two feet and then made about a 12-footer for par and that kind of kept what momentum I had going. And then made a nice putt at the next hole for birdie.'' That one was from 16 feet. He followed with two more birdies and came back in another 32 for his 64, which tied three others for low round of the day. "I think this week more than anything I kind of made the key putts to keep my round going which has not always been the case this year,'' Leonard said. "It's nice to see that happen.'' Nice too, too be there with the chance. And, yes, with the eyes of the Lone Star State watching him try to come from four down. "It's not insurmountable,'' he said. "Jesper obviously shot 9 under the first day and backed it up pretty well last two rounds. "You know, if he continues to play the way he is -- you know, he's probably out too far. But, you know, it doesn't mean I'm not going to try to go catch him and, you know, a lot of other guys are going to as well.'' So, he said, he's just going to keep doing what he's been doing all week -- take chances when he can and keep holing putts. "I think there's a lot of strategy involved in playing well here,'' he said. "And I think I've gotten very comfortable with that.'' And, we must add, with coming back to win. |
