THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 11, 1994 TAG: 9407110171
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
It wasn't Augusta, but Bill Murray couldn't have uttered the line any better.
When asked about how he was transformed from virtual no-name to crowd favorite at the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic this week, Justin Leonard replied, ``It's the Cinderella story, I guess.''
Yes it was.
Five weeks after winning the NCAA championship as a student at Texas, Leonard earned his playing privileges for the remainder of the season on the PGA Tour. Leonard needed to earn $82,355 in five allotted sponsors' exemptions to become a temporary tour member for the rest of 1994. He finished third at 12-under-par 272, earning $74,800 and putting him more than $1,000 over the required minimum.
Leonard wasn't fretting about earning enough to remain eligible before the round. He was thinking about winning.
``I couldn't get it out of my head, and it drove me nuts,'' Leonard said.
He opened with birdies at Nos. 1 and 2 and was tied for the lead with eventual winner Mark McCumber.
``I figured it out,'' Leonard said. ``I hit good putts at 3, 4 and 5. They all touched the hole but didn't go in. From then on it was kind of a solid round.''
Leonard closed out a week's work with 16 consecutive birdies.
``I felt I hit it good and could have got more out of today's round,'' Leonard said.
Leonard is 125th on the money list. If he finishes the season 125th or higher, he'll be exempt next season and won't have to go to Qualifying School.
``I've never met a kid who's more mature at 22 years old than he is,'' said Vinny Giles, Leonard's Richmond-based agent and the state's premier amateur player. ``He made a lot of friends this week, I'll tell you that.''
Leonard's pizzazz won over the crowd all week. He played with poise despite the pressure to meet lofty standards. And he entertained the press with his dry wit.
``He's so special,'' Giles gushed. ``He's got a personality second to none. He's humble, he's certainly not cocky but he's confident. He's got a heck of a way about him.
``He's one of a kind. They haven't made any like this one. I mean that.''
Giles hugged Leonard after the round and told him, ``You're special.'' As he walked away from the scorer's tent, the kids wanted Leonard's cap, glove, ball and autograph.
``It was neat because 10 years ago, that was me at the Byron Nelson,'' Leonard said.
Ten years from now, Leonard may look back at this week at the Anheuser-Busch Classic as the tournament that launched a lucrative, successful career. by CNB