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WGC DELL MATCH PLAY

March 24, 2016

Zach Johnson

Austin, Texas

Q. What are you doing so well over the last two days?
ZACH JOHNSON: I think it's a couple things. In match play you know that momentum is always nice. Getting up early yesterday was key. I kind of gave a couple away there.

Today was the same thing. I got early and never let go. For the most part, I'm hitting a lot of greens. It's not easy to hit greens out here with this wind. I'm hitting a lot of greens, giving myself opportunities for birdies, capitalizing occasionally. Outside of a 3-putt for 35 feet on 9, that's the only bogey I've made. Obviously I'm putting well, and that kind of thing.

All that being said, it's two days. The beauty of this format is that, one, I'm not guaranteed anything. Two, the guy I play with could technically still win the thing. You just never know. That's the beauty of the match play.

Q. All you need is a half tomorrow to advance. Does that change anything in your mentality?
ZACH JOHNSON: I'm not aware of that, but I'll think about it as time goes on. No, I want to go out and play solid. If anything, I just want to keep the Mo going for -- if I can advance to Saturday, it's fairways and greens at this point. A Pete Dye golf course with wind like this, you have to be steady and control your ball.

Q. What is it about this state?
ZACH JOHNSON: I don't know. I like it, I guess. I like the golf courses, no question about that. Colonial, the bent grass greens are something I've always enjoyed. San Antonio, the old one, the old course. I don't mind playing in wind. It seems like it blows in Texas all the time. My shot shape, I would say that my trajectory control is typically one of my assets. Fortunately it's come up.

Again, you just never know. I like the position I'm in now. Hopefully I can keep the form certainly the rest of this week and going into the spring.

Q. What about this course seems to suit your game, Zach?
ZACH JOHNSON: I'm still figuring it out. I think that's part of it. The fact that my game, when it's not too long a golf course, it's trajectory control, spin control. This course suits it. All that being said, it goes back to my first day. I'm still getting used to it. I think everybody's still getting used to it. I may have gotten used to it a little bit quicker. I'm not sure. I don't have an explanation. I may have played two guys that two off days and I had two on days. You can dissect it and pick it apart, but like I said before, the beauty of this is I'm not guaranteed anything right now. The guy I played today and the guy I played yesterday I think technically can still advance. I don't know where they are in their matches. That's awesome match play. It's great.

Q. Tom Kite was talking about your wedge game. Is that something that does kind of suit you?
ZACH JOHNSON: Wedge play is certainly I strive to become better at. I would say typically it's one of my strengths. I've hit some good wedges. All that being said, I hit a lot of really good mid-irons, too. I think what's helped me so far this week is that with this kind of wind you have to be in control of your ball. I don't mind putting it in the back of my stance, hitting it low and essentially taking the wind out of it. Occasionally I've done that pretty well. I'm hitting a lot of greens and that's hard on this golf course.

Q. In medal play can you get hot and ride the momentum? Is it different in match play because it's not necessarily how well you play but what the other guy is doing as well?
ZACH JOHNSON: You know what, it's funny you say that. I still mind of approach this as a medal format. Mentally I'm still like where am I on my scorecard. How many over, how many under, however you want to say it. I'm bitter that I 3-putted the 9th hole from 35 feet. That's my only bogey.

I'm kind of looking at that. You have to pay attention to your opponents. You have to pay attention to the situational golf that you are playing. That being said, I've still got to play my game. I've still got to hit shots and not overthink it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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