E-notes: Leonard's hot spot, last October for Valero

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When Dustin Johnson won last week's Turning Stone Resort Championship and led the field in Driving Distance, he became the first player to win a TOUR event while leading it in Driving Distance since Tiger Woods at the 2007 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.

Johnson

Players in their 20s have won 15 times this year on TOUR, including three wins by rookies Andres Romero, Chez Reavie and Dustin Johnson.

Justin Leonard will be seeking his record fourth Valero Texas Open title this week. Leonard's record at the event is as good as it is consistent. He's won three times, finished second twice and made the cut in 9 of 10 starts. He's 121-under par for his career in the tournament with 31 of his 38 rounds in the 60s.

In the history of the PGA TOUR, the winning 72-hole score has been under 260 15 times five of them coming at the Valero Texas Open. Included in that number is the all-time record of 254 set by Tommy Armour III when he won the 2003 Valero Texas Open.

Perry

There are a number of strong candidates this year for PGA TOUR Comeback Player of the Year. Kenny Perry was 60th last year in the FedExCup points race and finished 15th this year with three wins to his credit. Ben Curtis climbed from 114th last year to ninth this season, while Dudley Hart didn't even qualify for the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup last year and finished 12th this season.

There are currently nine rookies among the top 125 on the money list with five events left on the schedule.

Davis Love III finished in a tie for third last week at the Turning Stone Resort Championship for his best showing since winning the 2006 Chrysler Classic of Greensboro.

Beginning in 2009, the Valero Texas Open will be played in May and be included in the PGA TOUR's Regular Season. For the last two years, the tournament has been part of the TOUR's Fall Series.

Leonard

Justin Leonard won his third Valero Texas Open last year, joining World Golf Hall of Fame member Arnold Palmer (1960-62) as the only players with that distinction. Leonard first won the tournament in 2000 and successfully defended his title in 2001. His win a year ago came in a playoff over Jesper Parnevik. Six other players have multiple victories in the tournament's history. The others: Bill Mehlhorn (1927-28), Dutch Harrison (1939, 1951), Sam Snead (1948, 1950), Ben Crenshaw (1973, 1986), Jay Haas (1982, 1993) and Duffy Waldorf (1995, 1999).

The Valero Texas Open again set the mark for the most money given to charity in 2007 with $8.4 million raised. The tournament has surpassed $33 million in contributions since its inception. Golf San Antonio, which organizes the Valero Texas Open, raises charitable dollars through its pro-am events, the Birdies for Charity program and the Chip In for Schools program, which allows schools to sell discounted tournament tickets and keep all the proceeds.

Justin Leonard is one of three players to have successfully defended his title in the tournament. The others are Bill Melhorn (1928-29) and Arnold Palmer (1960-62).