'I could have shot 90'

Despite carding 82, Leonard comes up smiling

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Posted: Saturday July 18, 1998 04:13 PM

Dreadful day: Leonard finished with three double bogeys, seven bogeys and just one birdie (AP)

SOUTHPORT, England (Reuters) -- British Open defending champion Justin Leonard got mauled by the beast of Royal Birkdale on Saturday but managed to come up smiling.

"I don't think anything anywhere can prepare you for this," Leonard said after hauling himself around the lethal links in gusts of 35 mph to cobble together a 12-over-par 82.

"I'm going to submit this score inside and see if I can get my handicap raised. If I hadn't putted well, I could have shot 90."

The 26-year-old Texan, who had just scraped into the weekend after rounds of 73-73 over the 7,018-yard course on the English coast of the Irish Sea, said it was absolutely right to continue despite the conditions.

"I played in it, so everyone else should also," he said.

"Now I'm going to watch the rest of it on television and laugh at the guys playing it this afternoon."

The last two groups, including overnight leader Brian Watts of the United States, English amateur Justin Rose, Tiger Woods and Nick Price, had not started when Leonard left the course for the day.

Leonard parred the opening hole but then called a penalty on himself in a bunker at the second when his ball moved as he was settling his feet.

"The ball moved about a quarter of an inch when the wind blew away the sand under it. I called the rules man over and he confirmed it was part of addressing the ball," he said.

That led to a double-bogey six and he had two other double bogeys on his card along with seven bogeys against a lone birdie, at the fourth.

"That was a long time ago," he said.

Told that two players, Katsuyoshi Tomori of Japan and Costantino Rocca of Italy, had shot level-par 70s, Leonard replied: "Wow!"

"I had no idea how hard the wind was blowing. I don't even know how fast I'm going in a car," Leonard said. "This wind was like practice last Sunday, but I just had trouble getting the ball on the fairway.

"Still, you can't let these things get to you. I'm not going to put much stock in this, just go out tomorrow and try to shoot a decent round."

His experience did not put him off playing in the British Open.

"I am not going to let this affect me. I'll definitely be at Carnoustie next year and if I'm still alive at 65 I'll be coming over here every year to play."

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