"I was so awful my first couple of years"- Justin Leonard talks about hoping to breakthrough on the PGA Tour Champions

Justin Leonard is a professional golfer who has accomplished a lot in his career, including winning the 1997 Open Championship.

However, as he transitioned to the PGA Tour Champions, he admitted that his first couple of years on the PGA Tour were not great.

In an interview with Golfweek, Justin Leonard talked about his struggles and his hopes for the future.

Initial struggles faced by Justin Leonard

Justin Leonard turned pro in 1994 after a successful college career at the University of Texas. He quickly made a name for himself on the PGA Tour, winning his first tournament in 1996 and following that up with a major championship victory in 1997. However, as Justin Leonard admits, it wasn't always smooth sailing.

In an interview with BVM Sports, he said:

“Getting into broadcasting, there’s not a whole lot that can prepare you for that outside of going to school and studying journalism, which I did not. So that’s the reason I was so awful my first couple of years trying to do it."

Justin Leonard's struggles continued for several years, and he didn't win another tournament until 2000. Despite the difficulties, Leonard persevered and continued to work hard on his game.

“It’s something that fortunately the people at NBC and Golf Channel poured into me and helped me get better over time, gave me a lot of reps, and I learned a lot along the way.

"I think that some of watching the best players in the world, how they prepare, how they practice, playing practice rounds, and then watching them in competition, I think those are things that now I’m able to kind of apply to what I’m trying to do to get ready.

Learning from the struggles

Justin Leonard's struggles early in his career taught him some valuable lessons. In the Golfweek interview, he talked about the importance of learning from mistakes and staying patient.

Leonard's persistence paid off in the form of a successful career on the PGA Tour. He won 12 tournaments, including the Open Championship, and was a member of several Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams. He also became known for his excellent putting, which he attributed to his mental toughness and ability to stay focused under pressure.

Looking Ahead to the PGA Tour Champions

Now that Leonard has turned 50, he is eligible to play in the PGA Tour Champions, which is the senior circuit for professional golfers. In a BVM Sports interview, Justin Leonard said that he is excited about the new challenge and is hoping to make an impact on the tour.

“It’s a lot of fun. I knew how competitive it was from covering the Senior PGA a couple times with NBC, and it’s been fun like pouring myself back into my own game rather than 150 other players’ games, as I did with television. It’s been fun.”

“I’ve enjoyed putting the work in and trying to be competitive against these guys and playing on some golf courses like this week that I have a sense of history on. I played here five times in amateur golf, a bunch of Houston Opens here, so it’s nice to be back.”

End Note

Leonard's admission that he struggled early in his career is a reminder that success in any field often requires hard work and perseverance. His ability to learn from his mistakes and stay patient eventually led to a successful career on the PGA Tour, and he is now hoping to continue that success at the PGA Tour Champions.

As Leonard embarks on this new chapter in his career, golf fans will be watching to see how he performs against some of the best players in the world. Whether he wins or not, Leonard's determination and resilience will continue to inspire others to keep pushing forward in pursuit of their goals.

Edited by Arnav Kholkar