Pirate Galaxy » lay well enough to retain his playing privileg

TROON, Scotland -- You might not recognize Justin Leonard if you havent seen him in a while. The schoolboy visage of his younger years has given way to middle-agedness -- middle-agedness for a golfer, at least. The enduringly furrowed brow is decidedly less furrowed. Then theres the beard. Salt is noticeably creeping up on the pepper; it exists in varying shades of unkemptness, from marginally scruffy to consummate mountain man, which just happens to be a major part of his Twitter handle these days.This isnt a story about a few extra whiskers, though. Its about what they represent.Id never gone more than three or four days without shaving until this little stint, he explains. You know, theres a little bit of freedom in that. Leonards words might make it sound like hes taking a long weekend at the beach, but his actions are indicative of a major lifestyle change for him and his family.As he prepares for The Open at Royal Troon this week, site of his lone major championship victory back in 1997, the man who ranks 17th on the PGA Tours all-time money list with more than $33 million in official earnings returns with a new sense of perspective on the game.It all started early last summer. Mired in a slump that saw him miss nine consecutive cuts, Leonard started to feel the gravitational pull of other priorities after two decades as a touring pro. He wanted to be with his wife Amanda and their four young children more often. He wanted to pursue some hobbies. He wanted to try his hand at broadcasting. And he really didnt want to play golf as much as hed been playing.I just thought, You know what? Im not enjoying this, he says. I kind of started thinking about what life looks like after golf.He sat down with his family at their home in Dallas and explained that after so many years of everyone else making sacrifices for him, he wanted to repay the favor. He asked them where they wanted to be, what they wanted to do, if they could choose anything in the world.Before the year was over, theyd moved to the posh ski town of Aspen, Colorado.Life there, according to Leonard, is the antithesis of their previous PGA Tour hustle and bustle. Everything moves slower. They ski a lot. (Leonard says hes a scratch-handicap skier, but admits there are a whole lot of plus-2s out here.) They go on long bike rides. They hike. They see bears out in the wild.Theres such a theme of freedom in the last year, year-and-a-half, he says. I think thats the reason Im not stressed about these next couple of months. Whatever my path is, Im not stressed about it. Its just freedom.Others would be. After all, in between ski runs and bike rides and hikes and bear sightings, Leonard is still playing some golf, using his final remaining exemption at the age of 44 that he earned by being in the top 50 in the all-time PGA Tour money list. If he doesnt play well enough to retain his playing privileges this season, hell either have to wait nearly six years until hes PGA Tour Champions-eligible or start an aggressive letter-writing campaign for tournament invitations -- and he insists the latter isnt a serious option.But heres the real crazy part, as if a PGA Tour veteran giving up that life of luxury wasnt enough: In his limited starts, with little focus on practice and preparation away from tournament sites, Leonard is actually playing better than before.In nine appearances this season, hes already made seven cuts -- including each of his past five. If this strategy sounds familiar, its because he borrowed it directly from the playbook of Steve Stricker, who made a similar cutback a few years ago.I didnt think I could do it, but I was able to come out here and still be competitive, says Stricker. Hes still playing well, too. And hes way happier. I was the same way when I finally made that decision.In between those playing appearances, Leonard is seeking other opportunities. Hes served in a broadcasting role for Golf Channel telecasts three times so far since December, filling the lead analyst role at the Barracuda Championship two weeks ago, and still has two more upcoming gigs on this years schedule.Like most things in his life these days, hes willing to see how it goes and isnt too worried about the future.Im peeking behind the curtain; I want to see if its something I enjoy and if they feel like I do a good job, down the road, who knows? he says. Id love to keep playing and keep my privileges and keep doing something similar, but if things dont work out golf-wise, maybe I do TV for a while, th