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CNN Sunday Morning

Justin Leonard Leads PGA Championship

Aired August 18, 2002 - 11:19   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Golfing great Tiger Woods -- can you imagine being called a golfing great and you're only in your 20s? Well, Tiger Woods knows what it's all about and he has his work cut out for him, if he's going to rally for his third major title of the year. He is now five shots off the lead at the PGA Championship, and we check in now with Larry Smith with CNN Sports in Chaska, Minnesota. And it looks like it's cleared out there for you guys out there.
LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: You know what? Tell Jacqui thank you very much for the good weather. For the first time all week, we've had -- there are no weather problems in the forecast for today. Sunny skies. The weather is quickly warming up. There's just the slightest of breeze here in Hazeltine just outside Minneapolis. Perfect conditions, if you will, for the 84th PGA Championship, for the final day of the championship, of the final major of the golf season.

Justin Leonard is in the lead at 9 under par, but of course everyone will still be watching Tiger Woods. He will tee off at about 3:00 Eastern time here at Hazeltine, and Woods five shots off the pace, a par 72 round on Saturday that we thought going in would keep him right in the hunt, if it had not been for Justin Leonard, who shot a 69.

But Woods, again, has his work cut out for him -- 0 for 15. He has never won a major when losing -- when trailing, I should say, after three rounds.

One of the great stories also to watch is the guy, the other guy in the final two along with Justin Leonard, and that is Rich Beem. He quit golf in 1995 to live in -- move in with his fiancee and sell cell phones. He decided to get back in the golf, collected $80,000 from 30 sponsors to resume his golf career, and what a payoff that could be if he wins his first career major today. Beem could win $990,000 with the first place prize. But if he wins that, he might lose something else along the way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICH BEEM, PRO GOLFER: More than likely, if I got a lead coming into the last few holes, I really probably would puke. I will puke. I will be so nervous, it will be unbelievable.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SMITH: Trust me, I'll be staying away from Rich Beem on the back nine. But certainly, it should be an exciting day today here. We should mention, by the way, Tiger Woods, five shots back, it has been done before. The record for the PGA Championship, biggest deficit ever overcome to win the title, 23 years ago when John Mahavy (ph) did it. We'll see if Tiger can come through and win his ninth major, or if maybe Rich Beem can become the 12th player in the past 15 years to make the PGA Championship his first career major victory. It's all going to happen this afternoon. Fredricka, let's go back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Larry, either way, for Rich Beem or for Tiger Woods, what a great win, what a great story there would be to tell for either one of those players.

SMITH: And for Justin Leonard at 30 years old to have two majors. A lot of good stories today. And Fred Funk at 46 also is also right there, just a few shots back.

WHITFIELD: They're all chomping at the bit, Larry. All right, thanks very much. Appreciate it.

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