	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

September 19, 2018

Dustin Johnson

Atlanta, Georgia

MIKE BALIKER: We'd like to welcome Dustin Johnson here to the interview room at the TOUR Championship. Dustin, you're right where you want to be in terms of going into this final event here, No. 4 in the standings. Just talk about the opportunity ahead to really have control over what happens here at the end of the week on Sunday.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, being in the top 5, I control my own destiny. It's kind of the spot where you want to be. If you're not No. 1, you definitely want to be in the top 5 at this event, and I'm sitting at 4, so yeah, I mean, I control my own destiny. If I have a good week and can win, then I can be the FedExCup champion.

MIKE BALIKER: Just talk about that goal that you've won a major, you've won WGCs. Just talk about having that added to your resume, how that would make you feel.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, it's something that I haven't accomplished yet. I've been very close, and it's something that I really want to win, and I want to be the FedExCup champion. Yeah, it's something in my career that I definitely want to accomplish, and I think it's a big milestone, and I'm looking forward to the challenge this week where I've got a chance to do it.

Q. You're such a regular here; is it surprising to you that you haven't won this thing because you are so familiar with this place?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I feel like this golf course sets up well for me. I like the golf course. I've had some success here. I've played well. But just never -- obviously I haven't won it. I mean, yeah, it's a little surprising, but it just seems like something -- I just haven't ever put four rounds together here.

Q. Do you have a history with many other places where you've played this many times at a course where you've not finished, say, fourth or better or haven't won? I don't know if this is a particular bugaboo of yours, I guess.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, the only other place that I can think of that I haven't had a lot of success would be at THE PLAYERS. I've played well but just not that great, so I'm really looking forward to playing it in March this year with the different course conditions and playing a little bit longer. You know, see how I do this time around, because I haven't ever -- ever since I've played it, it's been in May and it's been Bermuda that's firm and fast. So I'm looking forward to that. Maybe I'll have more of a chance to win.

Q. I hate to bring this up, but do you mind me asking you exactly what putter you brought with you this week?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I've got a couple.

Q. You brought two?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I've got a short-neck Soto, kind of blade. I think that's what it's called. I don't even know. And then I've got a Spider Mini.

Q. Do you think you hold yourself back by switching so much instead of just waiting for your turn to come around, if you know what I mean?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, because it has nothing to do with the putter. I'm still -- the one I putted with, the Spider I putted with for a long time, obviously I putted decent with it, but I didn't feel like I was putting as well as I should, especially as much as I was practicing. And to me, it's not really about the putts going in the hole, it's more starting them where I'm looking and hitting them on the right lines. I was struggling to do that with the putter I had, so that's why I keep -- I've changed a little bit the last, say, month or so. I'm trying to get one that I really like, and I'm working on it. I'm working on it.

Q. Looking ahead to next year with the new format and some positions being determined before you even tee off, does it change at all what you guys do or because you can make up so many shots in 72 holes, do you just go out and play golf?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I think it's great. It gives everyone in the field a good chance to win. Obviously you want to be in that No. 1 spot so you start ahead, but no matter what, with this golf course, you can make up a lot of strokes with a good round. Even if you're starting at 10-under, you're going to have to play well for four days if you want to win. You know, especially on a golf course like this where it's not easy to shoot -- there's not too many 6- or 7-unders. 3-, 4-under is a good score around here. Yeah, I think it's going to be fun to watch as a spectator, but also too being in the tournament, it's going to be fun, and you know where you stand. It's nice that you don't have to be No. 1 coming in here to win. The 30th guy has a chance to win.

So I think it'll be interesting. I mean, I like it.

Q. Looking ahead to next week, why is the role of the captain so important on these teams, and how do you think Jim will fill that role?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I think Jim is going to do a great job being a captain. I think he already has been doing a great job. Obviously he's been a part of a lot of these teams. He's still a player out here, so he understands like what it takes. He's been on a bunch of teams. He's been vice captain on a bunch of teams. I've got a great relationship with Jim, and I think he's going to do a really good job. But it still comes down to the players. If we don't play well, we're going to lose. If we play well, we'll probably win. When it comes down to it, it's pretty simple.

Q. As a player who sets exceedingly high standards for himself, when you reflect on your year as a whole, the performance in the majors, the wins from earlier in the season, how would you assess it all if you had to sum it up so far?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I'd say it's probably like a B, if I'm giving myself a grade. Yes, I've got three wins, I've got a lot of top 10s, but I had an opportunity to win a lot more tournaments than I did. I felt like I should have won a lot more than I did. But I feel like I have a lot of room for improvement. I've still got two big events to play well in coming up. But this off-season I've got a lot of work to do. I feel like there's definitely a lot of room where I can improve my game, so I'm kind of excited to have an off-season so I can work on it and hopefully come back really strong for next year.

Q. In general, how do you feel this place suits you, suits your eye, suits your game?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I like it. I think it suits my eye, and I think my game holds up well here. Hopefully -- I feel like I'm driving it a little bit better right now, so that's definitely a key around here is you've got to drive it well. If you can play out of the fairways here, then you're going to have a pretty good week because it's tough to control the ball if you're in the rough.

Q. In terms of the mental approach to the game, does it change in terms of playing in a format like this as opposed to when you go to teams?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Not really. I mean, you've still got to execute shots. So no matter if you're playing for yourself -- there might be -- I enjoy the team matches. I think they're so much fun. But again, when you're at the Ryder Cup or the Presidents Cup, you're not just playing for yourself, so there's a lot more on the line. You're playing -- you're representing your country, and you're playing for a lot of different people. An event like this, not necessarily the mentality is any different, just next week there's -- it's more fun. It's just a completely different atmosphere as far as when you're playing in an event like this just because I'm out there playing for myself, my family, my coaches, whatever, my team. But next week, I'm out there representing the United States of America.

Q. You mentioned room for improvement; where do you want to improve this off-season?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, to me I can improve everywhere throughout the whole bag, I feel like. And something I'm going to work really hard on is short game, putting, my wedges. I don't feel like they're as sharp this year as maybe they were last year and the year before. I've put in the work, I just -- for some reason they're not -- I don't feel like they're as sharp. They're good at times, but then at times they're -- I don't feel like they're as good. I can't quite figure out why that is, so hopefully I'm going to figure that out.

Q. You mentioned disappointed about not winning more. Is there a common denominator in the ones you didn't win?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, it's a little bit of everything. Sometimes I wasn't driving or hitting it as well. A couple times, it was the putter where I hit it really well, I just wasn't making the putts. So it's a little combination.

Q. You talked about the Ryder Cup going to France; what do you know about France or the people of France?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: The only place I've ever been in France is Nice, and -- well, I've been to south of France a little bit. The people I met there were nice. I haven't played the golf course. I haven't been to Paris or Versailles. But I think it's going to be a great event, and I'm looking forward to it, and I think it's going to be a lot of fun.

Q. Along those lines, you were a youngster the last time the U.S. won a Ryder Cup on the road; what's the biggest challenge of that? Why do you think it's so hard to win over there?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, any sport -- it doesn't matter what sport it is, when you go on the road, it's hard to win. It's just how it is in sports. I'm sure if people knew why, they would probably win more on the road. But it's harder to win over there, but like I said, if we go over there as a team and we do the things we're supposed to do, then I think we've got a really good chance to win.

Q. What was it like playing with Phil? Not necessarily personally, but your first Ryder Cup, you were paired with Phil for a couple matches. What was he like as a partner and in the team room?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Phil is great in all aspects of being on the team and the team room. Even for me as a rookie, being his partner, it was really cool to have a guy that's been on so many teams and had -- and kind of has had the knowledge and experience. For me being a rookie playing with him was great, just to learn -- I learned a lot playing with him. We didn't have success together, even though we felt like we should have. But just we didn't for some reason.

Couldn't blame it on one thing or another, we just didn't have any success. They were playing well, we weren't. Pretty simple.

Q. What's the best thing you've ever heard him say or do in the team room?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Oh, I probably couldn't repeat it. Yeah, he's great. I mean, he's a great team guy, and we have a lot of fun in the team rooms. He's usually talking. But like you said, he's a veteran and guys are listening, and he always has good things to say.

Q. You've already had like two or three examples running through your head, haven't you?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I pass. (Laughter.)

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297