Players Champions Confidential: Justin and other former Players champions discuss the tournament and the (in)famous island par-3 17th

Sports Illustrated’s Golf.com convened a special Players Champions Confidential roundtable of former Players champions Greg Norman, Raymond Floyd, Adam Scott, Justin Leonard and others to talk about this year's tournament and whether they think the famous 17th hole is a gimmick or a work of genius.

Below are Justin’s comments.

Click here to read the entire Golf.com article.

1. Whose game suits the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass and who’s your pick to win this year’s Players Championship?

Justin Leonard, 1998 champion: I think Brandt Snedeker would have a good chance this year with as well as he’s playing. Obviously, he’s hitting the ball really well so far. I don’t think there is a formula to winning there. There are all kinds of different types of players who win. Guys like myself and Stephen Ames, who hit it pretty straight and grind our way around. Phil’s won, Tiger’s won, Davis has won a couple of times -- those are guys who can really get it out there and take advantage of the par 5s. I don’t know if there is a certain type of player who will win. I think that’s the great thing about the place. It identifies a guy who is playing really well that week. And there’s all kinds of players who can win that week.

2. Where does the Players rank in importance for you?

Leonard: We don’t sit around and talk about it, but I think most players realize that winning the Players is just one tiny step below winning a major.

3. What’s your best memory from your win?

Leonard: The most memorable moment is probably that shot at 17. After watching Len Mattiace hit it in the water a couple of times, I stood up there with a 9-iron and hit it on the green. A sense of relief came from that. It’s something I will never forget.

4. Is the par-3 17th a good hole or a gimmick?

Leonard: I think it can be a very difficult hole if the green is firm and the wind is blowing. I know I’d rather keep a 5-iron down than try and keep a wedge down out of the wind. It can be a very difficult hole. You can hit a pretty good shot and make a 5. Especially a couple of times when the greens had gotten really firm, and you land it on top and it keeps rolling back. I think those days are a little bit gone. I think they want the golf course to play fair. And they realize with the bermuda greens, that they don’t need them to get fast and firm for the course to play difficult.

5. Do you like Pete Dye designs and where does the Stadium Course rank against his other layouts?

Leonard: I look forward to Sawgrass. There’s a lot of strategy involved. It’s not all about putting the ball in the fairway. If you can get it to certain sides of the fairway, you give yourself more angles. Usually off the tee, the side that has more trouble on it tends to have a better line into the green. So sometimes you have to take on those bunkers off the tee in order to give yourself a little better angle on your approach. I enjoy it. There were days and years when the rough was so deep that I felt like it worked against how the golf course was designed. But now that we play it in May and there is no overseed, we play the golf course more as it was intended to play.

Leonard return to top form continues

Justin Leonard’s return to the top echelons of golf continued at the Tampa Bay Championship, where he flirted with the top of the leaderboard at times during the weekend before settling for a tie for 4th place, his best finish since August.

Kevin Streelman fired a four-under-par 67 to win his first PGA TOUR title.

Leonard told the media, “I feel like I played Puerto Rico pretty well last week. My scores didn't indicate it.”

“This is a golf course [Copperhead at Innisbrook] that I really like. So yeah, there was some inkling, and I certainly wanted to get in the mind set of coming in here and not only just trying to have a good tournament, but trying to get in contention, and I've been able to do that.”

One writer asked Justin to describe the difference between 1997 when he won The Open Championship at Royal Troon and his outlook today.

“I was pretty singularly focused back then. It was golf and that was about it. Now, depending on what day you ask me, golf's anywhere from fourth to sixth on my list. You know, it defined me back then, and that was okay because I was playing great. Fortunately, it doesn't define me anymore. I've got a wonderful marriage and four great kids, and I've got my faith that is constantly evolving and growing, and those are the things that are important to me. And golf is still very important and it's something that I love to do, but it doesn't define me the way that it did then.”

Justin jumps into tie for Innisbrook lead

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Justin Leonard walked toward the 12th green Saturday at Innisbrook and saw a scoreboard that showed he was tied for the lead in the Tampa Bay Championship. He knocked in his 8-foot birdie putt, assumed he was ahead, and then never looked at another board the rest of the day. He might do the same Sunday.

There’s no point in staring at scores, not with so many names separated by so few shots. Besides, the Copperhead course at Innisbrook is playing so difficult even in pleasant weather that it’s best not to think about anything except the next shot.

“It is hard,” Leonard said after his 4-under 67 put him in a three-way tie for the lead with Kevin Streelman and George Coetzee of South Africa. “There’s not a whole lot of birdie holes on those last six holes. With the greens getting firmer and faster as they did today — which I’m sure they will again tomorrow. You have to be pretty patient out there and really pick your spots pretty carefully.”

Leonard ran off four birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn and had the lead to himself before a bogey from the bunker on the 15th. Coetzee bounced back from his lone bogey with a birdie on the rowdy 17th hole, where Hooters waitresses serve wings in the grandstands. That gave him a 68.

They were tied at 6-under 207, more evidence that the Copperhead course is perhaps the most complete test in Florida. Even on a warm, breezy afternoon, it was easier to go backward that to move away from the field.

Leonard has gone 122 starts on the PGA Tour over nearly five years since his last win, though he felt comfortable in the lead for the final few hours of the third round. Innisbrook requires more smarts than just smashing the ball off the tee, and Leonard used the ninth hole as an example of thinking his way around. Realizing the pin was not tucked on the side, he laid back off the tee with a 3-wood, and then hit 6-iron into 10 feet for a birdie.

He also got up-and-down from a front bunker on the 11th, and then hit 6-iron to 8 feet on the 12th. His only regret was missing a 5-foot birdie on the 17th that would have given him the outright lead.

Justin Leonard inducted into Texas Golf Hall of Fame

At age 40, Justin Leonard feels that he has plenty of good golf ahead of him. But Monday night, the former British Open champion was honored for what he has already accomplished.

The former NCAA individual medalist and two-time All-American at Texas was one of seven contributors to the game inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame.

“This is up there with anything I have done,” said Leonard, a three-time winner of the Texas Open. “To be recognized for what's happened over a long career versus just a week or a few days is a significant honor.”

At a banquet and ceremony at San Antonio Country Club, Leonard was joined by amateurs John Grace and Mina Hardin, Club Corporation of America founder Robert Dedman Sr., club pros Charlie Epps and David Price and the late Sam Goldfarb, Sr., of San Antonio, elected in the pioneer category.

Justin with Texas Golf Hall of Fame director Buddy Cook.

The Texas Golf Hall of Fame has been located at Brackenridge Golf Course since 2008. The new class, which also includes Champions Golf Club in Houston added to the Texas Registry of Historic Golf Courses, was officially inscribed on a stone monument on the Hall's Walk of Fame on Monday morning.

Leonard, who has 13 professional triumphs and has been a Ryder Cup stalwart, arguably is the marquee addition. The Dallas resident, a one-time U.S. amateur king, views his success in amateur and pro events in San Antonio as a catalyst for his election.

“I think it's a big reason I am here,” he said. “I've had a lot of success in this city. It's been a special place to me and our family and our career. The fact that it's down here just adds to all that.”

- Richard Oliver, mysanantonio.com

Justin launches new TOUR blog

Inspired by a fan letter, Justin Leonard has launched a new TOUR blog to provide some insight into his life on the PGA TOUR. Click here to read Justin Leonard’s TOUR Blog.

A comment option enables fans to send their thoughts to Justin.

Justin will post to his blog as his schedule permits, and posts will include messages, photos, video and links to items you may find of further interest.

Leonard joins TaylorMade Tour Staff

Justin Leonard has joined the TaylorMade Tour Staff. Leonard is playing a TaylorMade R11 driver, RBZ Tour 3-wood, Tour Preferred MB Irons, xFT wedges and a PENTA TP golf ball on the PGA TOUR.

"TaylorMade is an incredible company that has always been on the cutting edge of new technology," said Leonard. "I have seen and heard so much about their line of white metalwoods and putters and I'm excited to begin the year with their equipment."

In Justin's Bag:
R11 10.5 Driver
RBZ Tour 3-wood
Burner SuperFast 5-wood
Tour Preferred MC 3-Iron
Tour Preferred MB Irons (4-PW)
xFT wedges 54, 58

Justin Partners with Beringer Vineyards

Watch for Justin's image on Beringer point-of-sale promotions

Beringer Vineyards (Napa Valley, California - www.beringer.com) has create a partnership with Justin Leonard, complementing the winery’s designation as the “Official Wine of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour” in the United States and Canada.

Leonard stated, “I’m pleased to work with a winery with such a rich history and reputation, especially given their support of the PGA TOUR.”

“We’re thrilled to have Justin as a partner and look forward to working with him to introduce Beringer to even more golf fans. His talent and passion are immediately evident, and are an excellent match for an iconic winery known for producing quality wines for over 136 years,” said Stephen Brauer, Managing Director for Beringer Vineyards.

The renowned Napa Valley winery was the first wine brand to become an Official Marketing Partner of the PGA TOUR. Beringer will support over 20 tournaments this season. Building on that success by aligning with a professional golfer of Leonard’s caliber allows Beringer to garner even greater visibility and support from the many loyal PGA TOUR fans.

The epitome of a modern classic, Beringer has been Napa Valley’s benchmark producer since its establishment in 1876. Winemaker Laurie Hook crafts classic wines from Napa’s finest appellations and Beringer’s exceptional collection of vineyards. A winemaking legacy of 136 years is reflected in an acclaimed portfolio of wines which are collected worldwide. The historic estate in St. Helena offers a tradition of hospitality that defines the Napa Valley.

Beringer will highlight Leonard’s name and likeness on select advertising and point of sale materials throughout North America, and Justin will engage in social media on behalf of Beringer throughout 2012.

Justin Wears Classic Ashworth Look

Click here to watch a video of Justin's comments on Ashworth.

Justin Leonard is now a brand ambassador for Ashworth Golf, a division of TaylorMade-adidas Golf. Ashworth ambassadors have a unique passion for the game and the lifestyle of golf.

"I'm excited to be an Ashworth guy because it's such a classic look," Justin stated.

$80,000 in Scholarships to Dallas Students

The Northern Texas PGA, Deloitte and Justin Leonard have announced the recipients of the 2011 Deloitte Justin Leonard Scholarships. They are Teresa Ricado, Monterrio Jones, Tre Lawton, and Trae’shaun Peterson. Each student will receive a scholarship in the amount of $20,000.

2011 scholarship recipients with Justin: from left, Monterrio Jones, Trae’shaun Peterson, Justin Leonard, Teresa Ricado, Tre Lawton

Fairway to Success is helping to impact and change the lives of children in the community. The five-week, after-school program boasted record participation numbers, with over 170 DISD high school students learning the basics of golf from PGA professionals over the course of the academic year. Students also went on a field trip to a local golf course, and graduating seniors were given the opportunity to apply for a $20,000 college scholarship, furnished by the employees of Deloitte..

Click here to read more about the scholsrship winners and the program.

18 things you probably never knew about Justin

He thinks he has a fear of ______

He would have been an ______ if he didn't play golf

His favorite actor is ______

The last thing he does before bed is ______

He got busted by his mom for ______

His fourth grade teacher told him ______

Click here to fill in the blanks to these and all 18 revealing comments by Justin's wife, Amanda.

Justin Featured in Jimmy Roberts' Book

“I was trying to make myself believe that I was playing okay,” Justin Leonard recalls during his dismal start to the PGA TOUR season in 2007. “Because it’s hard to go out there and play with no confidence. And sometimes you have to try and trick yourself a little bit. It doesn’t mean I thought I was playing great, but I thought, ‘My game’s pretty good on Tuesday and Wednesday; why can’t I get that to Thursday and Friday?’ I had some brutal Friday nights.”

The story of how Justin turned it around with the help of his wife, swing coach Randy Smith, and mental game specialists Dick Coop and Lanny Bassham, is chronicled in NBC and ESPN golf analyst Jimmy Roberts’ new book, Breaking The Slump.

Click here to read more about this chapter in Justin's career.

Outside The Ropes Video Capsules Justin's Balanced Perspectives

"I'm a fairly conservative feel player. My game is to put the ball into play, and from there try to get more aggressive."

In a PGATour.com "Outside The Ropes" video, Justin comments on memories of taking up the game of golf, when he realized he could be competitive on the TOUR, the importance of the TOUR to communities, Tiger's dominance, family fun, musical tastes, weekly goals, and more.

Click here to view Justin's reflections.

Return of the Tactician

Golf Digest features Justin Leonard's New Swing

"I changed my grip and my setup with the help of my teacher, Randy Smith, and I started hitting the ball solid again. Once I was in control of my distance and trajectory, I could shape shots off the tee and into greens, like I always have. It's been the difference between hanging on to make cuts and playing late on Sunday with a chance to win." -- Justin Leonard

"He had to re-access that old Justin attitude -- that he wanted to chew your leg off," says Smith. "It was still in there. And he can hit more shots now than ever before. He's a big fish. Now he's swimming with them again." -- Randy Smith

Click here to watch the action sequence of Justin's new swing and to read Randy Smith's analysis.

Check out Justin's latest statistics:

Justin's PGA TOUR player profile
Justin's PGA TOUR results
Justin's PGA TOUR statistics
FedEx Cup Point Standings - Playoffs
Ryder Cup Point Standings
President's Cup Point Standings
Official World Golf Ranking