Justin Leonard doesn't get the attention of other young stars like Tiger Woods, David Duval and Ernie Els when it comes to pre-Masters Tournament hype.
The fact is, however, Leonard has finished in the top 10 (tied for seventh and tied for eighth, respectively) the past two years at Augusta National.
Leonard proved when he won the 1997 British Open that his game was not a work in progress, but a finished product. He has won three events on the PGA Tour in his five full seasons on the circuit.
``There's no doubt he could win the Masters this year,'' said Larry Mize, the 1987 Masters champion. ``Justin is a great player. He's got it all. I definitely think he could win in Augusta. He's really solid.''
``I feel like my game is to where I can win the tournament,'' Leonard said. ``Whether that means I ever win or not, I can't tell you. I go in there feeling pretty good, like I have a chance to win. I feel pretty confident there and fairly confident because of my past performances. I enjoy the golf course and I feel like I learn a little bit every year.''
Vicariously, Leonard experienced some Masters magic in the 1998 tournament. It came courtesy of Jack Nicklaus, who was making a run at a seventh green jacket in the final round. Nicklaus would finish tied for sixth after a 68 brought him home at 5-under-par 283, two shots in front of Leonard. Nicklaus, at age 59, is 33 years older then Leonard.
``Obviously, I was on the course that day and you could definitely tell the difference between the roars that he got and the roars for other players,'' Leonard said. ``It's kind of special being there, although I wasn't able to watch any of it. But to listen to it -- you could hear the crowd even up on No. 18 when he was on the front side. You could hear the crowd roar as they changed the scoreboards, so, you know, it was pretty amazing being there during that.''
Of course, Leonard's crowning achievement so far has been the victory in the 1997 British Open at Troon. Five shots back entering the final round, Leonard blistered the course with a 65 to win by three shots. He was the only player who started the day under par who shot in the 60s in the final round.
``It's pretty tough to win (a golf tournament),'' Leonard said. ``You've got a lot of great players. Everybody is aiming to play well in the big tournaments. When you do have some success, you certainly have to appreciate it.''
Leonard calls it a big compliment to be included in the group known as the Generation Next golfers, such as Woods, Duval and Els.
``I enjoy being put in that category,'' Leonard said. ``But I don't look at anybody as a young guy or an old guy. Golf isn't really a sport where age makes a huge difference. I mean, sure, the difference between a 15-year-old and a 30-year-old is a big difference, but once you are a professional on the PGA Tour, I don't think age is as great a factor as people give it. Obviously, a player who is 40 years old and has won majors or come close is going to have a little bit more experience than somebody who is 22 or 23. But I think it depends on the individual.''
Leonard said one of the best things about becoming a public figure is some of the fan mail he receives.
``I haven't gotten too many negative letters, so it's not like, `Oh dear, I have to go through more mail.' It's like, `What am I going to find in this batch?'''
Leonard's favorite letters come from youngsters.
``They are written on notebook paper or are in crayon,'' Leonard said. ``If there are just a couple of letters like that in the bunch, it's worth going through. It's a lot to deal with, but it's fun. I try to take my time with it. It does take some time, but at the same time, it's fun that people want to say 'good job' or whatever.''
Chip shots: Justin Leonard
Leonard's mother handles his travel arrangements, his father does finances and his sister takes care of some of his public relations responsibilities.
Leonard has game to win Masters title 
