Leonard proveshis liking forlinks challenge

US Ryder Cup captain Tom Kite, who finished on 282, has been a friend of Leonard’s since he first saw him play. “I hate to compare players but he has got the same fight as Corey Pavin,” said Kite. “He sets his jaw and you can see him get down to work. He gives you one of those looks, like he’s going into battle. I have never seen a player his age so polished,” added Kite.

Leonard got down to work on the Royal Troon links in spectacular style when he reached the turn in only 31 shots, five-under par. His 31 was set up by three straight birdies from the 2nd hole on. Although dropping a shot at the 210-yard par-three 5th the determined Leonard immediately birdied the long 577-yard par-five 6th. He followed up with birdies at the 7th and 9th to move within one shot of Parnevik.

But it was on the par-five 16 that Leonard turned the screws on Parnevik, who threw away the Open in 1994 at Turnberry to Nick Price when he bogeyed the 18th as he tried to birdie it, unaware, because he had not looked at the leaderboard, that a par would do. A 20-foot birdie putt tied him with the Swede.

At the short 17th, he collected another birdie and suddenly he was in front. Parnevik looked at the scoreboard when he heard the roar from the 17th green and the expression on his face said it all. The 32-year-old from Stockholm, clearly stunned, pulled his tee-shot at the 17th, dropped a shot and was two behind and out of it.

“I managed to keep calm until the 18th but walking up that final fairway, with the crowds cheering. You cannot describe the feeling,” said Leonard. “I got down to business this week. Next week there will be plenty of celebrations,” he added.

Leonard was named last year by Cosmopolitan magazine as one of the world’s 25 most eligible bachelors. It is a compliment he is not amused by, refusing to talk about it.