GAINESVILLE, Va. – Score another one for the short hitters.
Two weeks after Zach Johnson won the Open at St. Andrews, a course known to favor the long hitters, Justin Leonard made eight birdies and a bogey for a 65 at a soft and long Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, which Charlie Beljan said earlier this week was a "bomber's paradise."
"When I had opportunities to score and make birdies I took advantage of them," Leonard said.
The 1997 Open champion only averages 270 yards off the tee, 10 yards fewer than Johnson, but he was able to go low Thursday on a course that he admits does not suit him.