Justin Leonard hopes to continue turnaround in Ginn sur Mer Classic at Tesoro Club

From WorldGolf.com News Services

The Fall Series has been the stage for Justin Leonard to turn his 2007 season around on the PGA Tour.

Earlier this month, Leonard recorded his first PGA Tour victory since 2005, winning the Valero Texas Open in a playoff over Jesper Parnevik. In his last three starts - all in the Fall Series - Leonard has earned $1.1 million, finishing no lower than 13th while earning as much as he'd made in his previous 50 starts combined.

The win in Texas was the 11th tour victory for Leonard in his career. The 1997 British Open champion had been in the midst of making several changes, switching caddies and instructors - leaving Butch Harmon earlier this year for former coach Randy Smith.

"I'm just starting to pull things together a little bit, and it's as much mental and kind of more of an attitude than just anything in particular with my game," Leonard told reporters. "It certainly helps to hole a few putts.

"I'm just trying to play a little bit more aggressively and not get too tied into the results."

However, the results have been good for Leonard of late. Heading into Thursday's inaugural Ginn sur Mer Classic at Tesoro Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., Leonard is coming off a tie for sixth place in the Fry's Electronics Open prior to winning the Texas Valero Open and tying for 13th-place in the Turning Stone Resort Championship.

Leonard said his win in his home state of Texas was huge in helping him turn the season around.

"The biggest thing is the confidence, and it's something that I really lost my confidence early in the year," said Leonard, who has made 15 of 27 cuts this year, recording eight top-25 finishes. "I think I was probably a little closer to playing some decent golf than I felt like I was."

The majority of the players in the field would have an opportunity to get PGA Tour cards for next season if they could take home the $810,000 first prize. The top 125 players on the final money list following next week's year-ending event will receive full playing privileges for 2008.

Mark Calcavecchia is the lone player in the top 24 on the money list in the field this week. The 47-year-old Calcavecchia, who is 12th at $2,993,332, won the PODS Championship in March.

Calcavecchia said he almost views the Fall Series as a mini FedEx Cup. It even means more to some players who are near the No. 125 spot.

"Some guys are playing some great golf under some pretty pressure-packed situations," Calcavecchia told reporters. "Each of the last three or four weeks there's been somebody, starting with Michael Allen finishing second at Turning Stone, (winning) to keep their job for next year.

"So it's interesting to see these guys playing great and come up with some big checks when they need to right down to the nitty-gritty. So it's kind of fun to watch."

Heading into the first round, J.B. Holmes is 123rd on the PGA Tour money list with $754,616, followed by Ted Purdy ($748,002), Kevin Stadler ($737,276), Brett Quigley ($717,411), Craig Kanada ($695,280), Cameron Beckman ($694,362) and Harrison Frazar ($688,814). Quigley is skipping the tournament due to injuries.

The golfers will be playing on the 7,381-yard Arnold Palmer Course. Prior to this week, several pros admitted that they had never played the course.

That number includes Leonard, who said he thinks the layout suits his game.

"The fairways are very narrow and the rough is penal enough to make you think about it, so it's good to put the ball in play," Leonard said. "The greens are beautiful greens. I mean, you know, condition-wise they're probably as good as we'll see all year. So you know, looking forward to getting started."

Ginn sur Mer Classic

• SITE: Port St. Lucie, Fla.
• COURSE: Tesoro Club, Arnold Palmer Course (7,381 yards, par 73)
• SCHEDULE: Thursday-Sunday
• PURSE: $4.5 million. Winner's share: $810,000
• TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m., 9 p.m.-midnight EDT)

October 25, 2007