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WGC HSBC CHAMPIONS

November 4, 2015

Dustin Johnson

Shanghai, China

ROYCE THOMPSON: Dustin, thank you for joining us today. Dustin is the 2013 WGC HSBC Champions winner, and also won the Cadillac Championship last year.

Dustin, if you can give us some thoughts about your victories in WGC events.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, I think this is my first one, so it's obviously special, and at this golf course. I do like the golf course. I think it sets up well for me.

I did notice yesterday when I played the back nine, there have been a few changes, maybe a couple new tees and some bunkers since the last time I was here. But the golf course is in great shape. Looks like hopefully the weather will cooperate first. But it's going to be a great event and I'm excited.

Q. There's been a lot of talk about the age of the top ranked players right now that 22 and 23 year oldS who have been winning all the tournaments lately. Curious if 31 now feels middle aged, how you look at the talk about 22 and 23 year olds and what they are doing; whether you feel how you look at them and how much you enjoy kind of inserting yourself into that conversation.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, I don't feel I know I'm 31 but I still feel like I'm 21. I don't consider myself being much older than those guys. Yes, I've been on TOUR for awhile, but I think it's great. I guess I didn't know but David just told me a few minutes ago that the first I guess three winners this year so far are 23 or somewhere around there.

So I think it's awesome. We need good, young players out on TOUR. I still consider myself a good, young player. I've been out here for a while, but I like to see the young guys come out and have success and doing well. I only think it makes the TOUR stronger. It's better for everyone.

Q. Obviously in China, being a father is old enough as a person. So as a father right now, what kind of changes have occurred in your career?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, you know, it's definitely the best thing that's ever happened to me. As far as changes, not too many changes. Obviously it comes with a lot more responsibility and it puts things in perspective where before, kind of golf and Paulina were kind of the most important things; now he's the most important thing. Golf comes secondary to him.

It's been a great nine and a half months so far, and it's only going to get better. So it's definitely been the best thing that's happened to me.

Q. You have won over here and Bubba has won over here. Does this golf course give some advantage to some long hitters like you and Bubba, and does that really take it away from the rest of the field when you hit it as long and as far as you do?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, I think this golf course doesn't necessarily cater to the longer hitter. I think you've got to drive it straight. So when I won here, it was one of the best driving weeks that I've ever had. So I got to play from the fairway a lot. I don't know if you remember, but Poulter and Graeme McDowell were right there with me. We were battling on Sunday. They are not the longest hitters.

Definitely I think it's a golf course where you need to play from the fairway, because the greens have got a lot of undulation in them. So controlling your ball coming into the greens is very important. But if I'm driving it straight, yeah, it's obviously an advantage because I'm hitting shorter irons in.

Q. Why do you think you and Jordan hit it off so well as a partnership? I don't know if a lot of people saw that coming.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, we play a good bit of golf together. I don't know, we felt like we would be a good team, especially with the way he's putting it. Him playing from my drives I don't know, we just felt like it would be a good pair. We played a couple practice rounds together. We mesh well together. We feel like we encourage each other out there on the golf course, and we just have good chemistry. We felt like we would be a good team.

Q. What was your level of proficiency in hockey before you met Paulina, and where is it now?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I have probably zero before. I mean, I watched it a little bit. But definitely watch it a lot more, especially when we're hanging out at her family's house. But Wayne keeps up with it pretty well, but we don't watch it that much. Kind of flip back and forth between all the sports, especially right now this time of year. We've got every sport is playing.

Q. Where are you in May? Are you watching?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: If I'm at their house. If I'm at my house, no. I like it, but I like going to the games more. Definitely been to a lot more games. I didn't go to any games before I met her and now I've been to quite a few. I enjoy that.

Q. Obviously you are the winner of the 2013 WGC HSBC Champions. So would you still consider yourself the defending champion since you missed out last year, or you would consider yourself as a new guy coming to grab the title again?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, not the defending champ. That's Bubba. But I definitely yeah, this year, it's just like another year. But hopefully I will have the title again after this year.

ROYCE THOMPSON: Thanks for joining us, Dustin. Good luck this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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