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THE BARCLAYS

August 24, 2016

Dustin Johnson

Farmingdale, New York

MARK WILLIAMS: Like to welcome Dustin Johnson. You're No. 2 in the FedExCup standings coming into the Playoffs. Got to like your position. Just kind of talk about your thoughts on that and then we'll have some questions.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I think it's my best position coming into the Playoffs since I've been on TOUR. Really excited about that. I think it's going to be set up for a really fun Playoffs. Still got a lot of work to do. Still want to be in this position going into Atlanta.

MARK WILLIAMS: And your last start was at the PGA Championship. Have you been practicing a lot? Like where your game is at right now.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: My game's okay. It's getting there. You know, I had three weeks off, which was great. Spent a lot of time up in Idaho with Paulina and her family and my son, so that was a lot of fun. Then was home, back in Florida last week. Did a little bit of practice. Played a lot of golf but not too much practice. I'm going to go out and practice a little bit when I get done here.

Q. Jason was just in here talking about the battle with you for Player of the Year. Do you pay attention to trying to become No. 1, and what is the competition like now do you think at the top of the game with these five golfers, including Henrik kind of joining the party?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, I mean, all the guys, Jason, me, Rory, Henrik, Adam, all the guys that are at the top are very, very good and very, very talented. So it makes it fun. It makes it challenging and it definitely pushes you to work harder and to get better. It's a lot of fun but yeah, it's tough. The guys, all the guys at the top are very, very good.

Q. Is Player of the Year a goal?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I'd love to win Player of the Year. I've still got a few more tournaments that I can show good I'm playing this year. Hopefully they turn out very well.

Q. How many rounds did you play over those three weeks?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I don't know.

Q. One? Five? Ten?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: More than ten.

Q. Going back to Player of the Year, if it were to end today, hypothetical, do you feel like you've done enough to be Player of the Year? Where do you put yourself in that race?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I don't know. I don't think it's up to me. But yeah, I feel like I've had a very, very good year. I feel I'd be right there I think in the consideration. It's been very solid, a lot of Top-10s, a lot of top 5s, a couple wins with one major. I think it's a pretty solid year.

Q. Did you watch any of the Olympics and if so, did you feel any sort of regret that you weren't there?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, I'd have liked to have been there for sure. I watched a little bit, not too much golf. I watched a lot of the Olympics. I checked the scores on the golf just to see how it was going but that's about the extent. Doesn't matter if it's the Olympics or what golf tournament it is, I don't watch it. I play enough golf; I don't need to watch (laughs). But I'll check the scores just to see who is leading and what's going on, but that's about it?

Q. Did it do anything to change your view of golf in the Olympics? Are you more fired up?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Playing the Olympics, that wasn't the issue for me. I wanted to go play. I wanted to go represent my country. I like doing that. I would have really liked to play in the Olympics, but unfortunately where it was and all the other things that went along with it was my reason for not going. Nothing to do with golf in the Olympics. I thought it was great. I would have loved to have gone and played. But to me the risk wasn't worth it. So that was the reason I didn't go. But I would have really liked to have gone. I think it would be a neat experience and a lot of fun, and especially winning a Gold Medal would be even more fun.

Yeah, I'm looking in order to hopefully making the team and playing in Tokyo.

Q. Curious if you talked to Rickie or any of the guys who competed in the Olympics, if any of the concerns you had going into it you found were over-stated as far as going to Rio from their experience?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I just saw Rickie this morning. That's the first time I've seen him since then but we really didn't get to talk about it. I haven't seen any of the guys, so I haven't got to talk to any of them about it, but I will.

Q. Davis is shortly to announce his wild card picks for Hazeltine. Wonder your thoughts on the makeup of the U.S. Team at the moment and on the flipside, what do you think about the nine who have qualified for Europe?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: What was the first part of that question?

Q. With Davis shortly to announce his wild card picks, just what your thoughts were of the makeup of the U.S. Team at the moment?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I think the eight guys, it doesn't end till after this week, right? I mean, I think we've got a really solid team. I think all the guys on the team are playing well. They all deserve to be on it. So I mean, I think as of right now, the top eight are very good and very solid.

I did not see the nine that made it on the Euro team. I'm pretty sure I can guess most of them. Yeah, they always got a good team. They always come to play. It's going to be tough matches just like it always is.

Q. What do you think, if you took The Rules of Golf test, what score do you think you would make?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I'd do well. I think I could get most of them right, yes.

Q. What do you think you should get, or any PGA TOUR player?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I have no idea. I'm glad we don't have to take it, though (laughter). But I feel like I know most all the rules.

Q. All the basics?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Most of them. I don't feel like I've ever been in a situation where I didn't know the rule. But I know there's a lot of them in there that are -- that never even apply to when you're playing most of the time.

Q. Going back to The Ryder Cup and kind of looking forward here, do you see sort of a change coming? I don't mean to imply that you're an old guy, but a change with all of the 20-something guys coming up, Jordan, Koepka, Rickie, Reed, and what do you think you can grow into in the next decade in terms of The Ryder Cup?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, there's a lot of young guys, that are really good, talented players that hopefully can put a spark in us and we can bring home the Cup. It's been a long time. I haven't been on a team yet to bring home The Ryder Cup.

I'm looking forward to it this year, and you know, hopefully we can change it up.

Q. What kind of presence do you think Tiger's voice is going to have in the team room?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, it will be good. Tiger obviously, the domination that he's had and the knowledge he has of the game, how to play it, it's going to be great. He's always been very good in the team rooms. I've been on teams with him and I enjoy it. I'm glad. He's already been texting me a bunch about it. He's fired up.

MARK WILLIAMS: Thank you, Dustin. Have a good week.

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