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HP BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIPMay 14, 2014Dustin JohnsonIRVING, TEXAS THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Dustin Johnson, Dustin you're preparing to go make your fifth start here at the HP Bryan, you want to talk about the course and the week and then we have a few questions. DUSTIN JOHNSON: I really like the golf course, it sets up well for me. Obviously like you said I've had a lot of success here and contended a couple of times. I just like this place. I like the golf course. It's a good fit. I've liked it ever since I first came here and coming in this week, obviously last week I got off to a good start, but that golf course, it's a tough course. You gotta play really well to contend there and just a hair off on the weekend. Didn't really make any putts. Just had a little mediocre week. Q. How much does your schedule change year in and year out based on what you do early? You seem efficient in your starts so far this year. DUSTIN JOHNSON: It doesn't really change much. I try to play‑‑ I kinda play the same events, you know, every year just about. Every once in a while I might change one and put in another one, but I tend to play the same ones. I think I have played just about every event on TOUR, so I kind of go with the ones that I really like to play and really enjoy doing. Q. Dustin, you got off to such a good start this year as Bill mentioned. Do you feel like right now you're in kinda of a lull period because you had been doing at such a high level for a good stretch. DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I did play at a high level for a while. It's golf. Golf is a funny game and it's frustrating, too, at times but that's why I love it and I think that's why we all love it. You know, it's‑‑ just been struggling a little bit, not like anything major just a little bit off and you know, I've been working pretty hard at it. I'm starting to get back to where I was. Q. Dustin, how much do you know about the Ryder Cup qualifying process and I'll let you answer part A. DUSTIN JOHNSON: I know if you play well you get on the team. Q. Good answer, was it a priority going into the season, and how comfortable are you with your position at this point? DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's always a priority. I mean, I don't even know where I'm at, but I think I'm doing pretty well, to be honest. Q. Dustin, specifically, what do you like about this course and this event? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, um, the HP Byron Nelson, they do a great job with the event, hosting us, they take very good care of us. It's a great venue and obviously when you got a really nice hotel right here on property it makes things very easy. It's just an event that I've enjoyed coming to and doing from the first time I came. Q. Dustin, you've obviously gotten a much higher profile beyond golf, obviously lately, with getting engaged. Are you comfortable with that? Do you like being in the news a lot more, I guess? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, it doesn't really bother me, but it's fine. It's not any different than it was before, really, not too much. But, you know, we kind of lay low a little bit. We travel so much, so when we are not traveling we try to take it easy and lay low. But you've got to be careful about what you do and where you're at. Q. Dustin, following up on the engagement question, how are the wedding plans going? Could that affect your schedule later this year? DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, but you'd have to ask her. I don't really get much say‑so in it, but right now there is not a date scheduled so we're just enjoying our time. Q. Only two par 5s, considering your length is there any advantage of how this course sets up for you particularly with your length? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, both par 5s are reachable, so you gotta take advantage of those. But it's another golf course where you got to drive it well. If you drive it well here, you're hitting out of the fairways, you can attack the golf course. There are a few tough holes but it's really important, I think, to drive it well. If you do that, then, you know, you can be really aggressive coming into the greens and these greens are always really good so you can make a lot of putts. Q. How impressed are you with Jordan Spieth's performance at the Masters and the PLAYERS this year? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I've played a good bit with Jordan. Obviously he's a very talented, young player and he's had a good season so far. Just from watching him play and doing with him quite a few times, I know him pretty well, I think he's going to be very good. Q. Dustin, have you played Pinehurst No. 2, growing up not too far from there and what were your thoughts? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I have but it was so long ago, I can't remember much about it. I was young when I played it, so I haven't been there since. Q. How old were you? 15? DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, younger than that. I went with my dad when I was 11 or 12. Q. So it was a family deal? DUSTIN JOHNSON: It was a long time ago. I did go in college. We went up for the Thursday round of the U.S. Open, last time I was there. My college team, a few of the guys we drove up and watched. But it's‑‑ supposedly there is going to be no rough which last time I was there the rough was really deep. It will be interesting to see. Q. Dustin, you talked a little bit about Jordan. What impresses you about his game? Secondarily, breaking through and closing out something on the weekend, you have had success with that. He's done that once. How big of a deal is that once you finally clear that hump, get that second or third win out here? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, it's obviously‑‑ you know, it helps anytime you can get a win, anytime you can finish out a tournament it gives you more confidence and you can build off that next time you're in that situation. Obviously he's still very young. He's got a lot more‑‑ he's going to have a lot more opportunities. I think he's a really good driver of the golf ball. He's fairly long and he drives it really straight. Then he has a pretty good short game, too, so that's going to equate to shooting good scores. Q. Dustin, the numbers say your putting has improved this year, and you're having your best year on the greens. Do you feel like you made an appreciable improvement in putting? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Anytime you play well, you contend to win a golf tournament you're putting well. You can look at every stat from every winner and they're putting the best pretty much that week. If you're putting good even if you're not hitting it very well, you can shoot a good score. I think the most important part of golf really, is putting. If you're rolling it well and if making your short ones inside 10 feet, for me, I'm going to play well every time I tee it up. Q. Did you make a concerted effort to work on the putting? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I always try to work on my putting. That's what I would spend most of my time on, putting and chipping. Hadn't really practiced any more than I normally do. Just maybe a little bit more efficient practicing, and quality. THE MODERATOR: Thanks for your time, Dustin. Good luck this weekend. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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