Leonard Does It Again, Claims Players Crown

The Players Championship proved once again that the scariest thing a pro golfer can see in his rear view mirror these days just might be Justin Leonard.

For the third time in less than a year, Leonard came from five strokes off the pace Sunday to win, shooting a closing round 67 on the dangerous Stadium Course to top Tom Lehman and Glen Day by two strokes.

“There wasn’t a lot of pressure on me, being five back,” Leonard said matter of factly after claiming the $720,000 first prize. “I’m a member here and I got a lot of member bounces.”

The 25-year-old Leonard now has four victories on the PGA Tour, including his win at the British Open last year.

While Leonard was able to draw on his experience under fire to hold up down the stretch, Len Mattiace and Day - two guys who have never won - faltered under the pressure.

At one point on the back nine, Leonard, Day and Mattiace were tied at 9-under par. But consecutive bogeys on Nos. 12 and 13 did in Day, and a quintuple bogey 8 by Mattiace on the island-green 17th hole sank his chances.

Leonard finished at 10-under 278 with Tom Lehman, who closed with a 68, at 280 along with Day, who had a 71.

Tiger Woods, who insists his game will be ready for his title defense at the Masters in two weeks, closed with a 72 and finished in 35th place.

Leonard knows all about coming from five strokes back in the final round. He was five behind last year at the Kemper Open going to Sunday and shot a 67 to win. A month later at the British Open, he started five back and shot a 65 to win.

While Leonard took home the largest paycheck on the PGA Tour, Mattiace cost himself $286,000 with his 8 - the difference between the $432,000 second-place money and the $146,000 he got for finishing tied for fifth.

Mattiace made $315,656 all of last year on tour.

Leonard’s 67 in the final round proved once again that Leonard is a closer and makes him someone to watch at the Masters, even though no one has ever won this event and the Masters in the same year.

“It’s a lot of fun to be able to shoot a great round on Sunday,” Leonard said. “Sometimes, you get so involved in shooting low that you forget about winning the tournament.”

Starting his day with a 10-foot eagle putt on No. 2, Leonard surged into the lead with five birdies in seven holes beginning on No. 9.

“Right there in the middle of the round I got hot,” he said.

He curled a 30-foot birdie in the side door on No. 13 to take the lead alone and stretched the advantage to two strokes on the next hole with another 30-footer for birdie.

Still, with the dangerous closing stretch of Nos. 16, 17 and 18 wrapping around the water, potential disaster lurked.

Leonard made a good par on No. 15 after he hooked his drive into the trees, laid up in front of the green and chipped to 4 feet and made the putt.

At virtually the same time, Mattiace rolled in a 7-foot birdie putt on No. 16, and Leonard’s lead was only one stroke.

But the drama was decided on No. 17 when Mattiace got over his tee shot on the 132-yard hole, backed off once then hit the ball over the green on a fly into the water.

After a penalty drop, Mattiace hit into the pot bunker then hit his shot thin out of the bunker and into the water again.

When Leonard landed his tee shot on the 17th green safely, he broke into a smile, knowing the tournament was all but his.