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FEDEX ST. JUDE CLASSIC

June 9, 2016

Dustin Johnson

Memphis, Tennessee

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. I feel like I'm playing really well. Just a few, few lapses in concentration there, you know, early. I just made a poor swing on 12, made double, you know, then the same on 3, you know, right in the fairway.

Obviously I hit a lot of great shots and, you know, just a little disappointed I made a bogey on the last hole being in the middle of the fairway. I pulled my wedge shot a little bit but it's right there.

I mean, 15 feet from the hole you got to get that up and down. Have to hit a great chip shot. All in all, it's a good day. 4-under out here is not a bad score but I feel like I'm playing a lot better than that.

Q. Sure seems that way because at times it's like wow, you really had it going there at the end of the first 9 and the second 9 you were 6-under for 5 holes. Little run there.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No. I feel like -- I feel like I'm swinging really well. I'm driving it in the fairway. I'm hitting good iron shots. So, just made -- just a couple bad swings and cost me a bunch of shots.

You know, those two bad swings on 12 and on 3 were poor shots. 18 is another one. I'm playing well. Very happy with the game right now. You know, I'm in a good position.

Anything under par around here especially with the mistakes I made still to shoot 4-under today is a really good score. Tomorrow we have to eliminate the mistakes. I feel like my short game is good and I'm playing well.

Q. Justin, great round, today, 66. How happy are you today?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's a good score around here. Obviously I could play a lot better. A few bad swings, lapse in concentration, bad swings but, other than that, I played really well.

Q. Some of the highlights. Island green, 11. Walk us through this shot.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I had a really good number. First thing in the morning here and it's a perfect wedge. Obviously I hit it in there to two feet.

Q. This was such a fast start for you. Fast finish to your front-9.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah.

Q. Demonstrates, 329 yards off the tee. What did you reduce it to the second shot?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: 188. Nice little 7-iron. Good shot in there, ten feet or so. Obviously on 17 -- fortunate birdie there. Drove it a little left in the rough and hit a pretty good shot to get it on the green. To make a long putt like that is nice.

Q. We know you're a great driver of the golf ball. You must be pleased. You've had four Top-5s in your last 6 events. What's really clicking with you and how excited are you about the second Major is here?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I'm very excited. The game is in good shape all around. Everything is working pretty well. Just a few poor swings today but other than that, I made most of the putts.

Q. Not the way you wanted to end but obviously you have to be happy with a solid first day.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Especially after I got off to a little bit of a rough start. You know, birdied the 2nd hole and made a bad bogey on 12 and then double on 14. So, got off to a rough start. Closed out the back-9 really great.

I'm playing really great right now. Just need to keep doing what I'm doing and feel like I'm swinging really well. Just keep giving myself chances.

Q. For you you told us yesterday you wanted to get off to a quick start. Did the round itself, is a good way to get going as you head into Friday, right?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. I feel pretty good about my position, just I played a lot better today than my score. You know, I think that's about as high as I could have shot.

But, you know, I feel like everything in the game right now is good. So, I'm excited about the rest of this week and obviously looking forward to next week, too.

Q. (Inaudible.)
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's always good to turn it around but I was never really worried. I knew I was -- I'm playing really well right now. Just made a bad swing there at 12 and, you know, come right back at 16, 17, 18. I made a long putt on 17. The other putts were not that long. Feel like I'm swinging really well.

Q. Talk about the closing holes, so difficult. You played them so well. You'll take that the rest of the week.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Birdies are always good.

Q. Have you seen Oakmont yet?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I went last Tuesday.

Q. What were your thoughts on that?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I like it. I think it's good. Just depend on the conditions. If it plays firm and fast it will be really tough. When I played Tuesday it was a little bit soft. You know, you can -- you know, if you're hitting it well you can shoot a good score.

Q. How do you feel it sets up for your game?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I like it. I think it sets up well. Felt like I played pretty well on Tuesday when I played it for the first time.

Q. Do you not hit a lot of drivers there?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I hit maybe 7. I hit a good amount of driver.

Q. Do you remember what you shot?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I shot a good score.

Q. DJ, nine 3s on the scorecard. A little bit of everything going on out there.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, there was. Lots of good shots but a couple poor ones, you know, and in the wrong situation. But, you know, overall, I think it was a really solid day.

I felt like -- I think I did everything pretty well today. I drove it well and hit a lot of good iron shots. So rolled the putter nicely. Missed two short ones on the last two holes but, you know, all in all I think it was a real solid day.

Q. I saw you moving the trajectory around, some high, low, the fast ball, the off-speed one. Got the swing dialed in.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. I feel like I'm controlling my ball really well. Feel like, you know, hit any shot right now. That's not a problem.

I always like working the ball low, high, left to right, right to left. But, you know, got to keep working at it. It's starting to come around. I'm starting to get a lot of good swings. Looking forward to the rest of this week.

Q. Nice putting today. Is that a function of the confidence or something you worked on?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I've been working on the putter a lot lately. You know, it's one thing that I feel like it's been holding me back a little bit. I feel like I'm rolling it nicely, just they're not going in, you know. I just hit it closer, I guess.

Q. Nice round, 66. You won here in 2012. A golf course you obviously feel comfortable on. Why does it suit your game so well?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I just like the golf course. It plays tough. You know, you got to drive it in the fairway and control your ball coming into the greens and, you know, it just seems like every year the scores are never very low here. Right now it's about as easy as it can kind of play.

The fairways aren't rolling too much so the ball is staying in the fairway. The greens are receptive. So -- they're rolling absolutely perfect. It's about as good as scoring conditions as you're going to get around here.

You know, today I felt like I played a lot better than my score, you know, just kind of gave away a few shots, you know, on the backside which was my front-9 and then, obviously, finishing, too, I felt like I just gave away a couple shots.

Q. Talk about your confidence going into next week. I know you spent some time at Oakmont earlier this week. What was your take on the golf course and how it's going to play?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It all depends on the weather. I played on Tuesday, it rained Monday night and so it played soft. Drives that would have landed in the fairway stayed in the fairway. You can hold the greens.

So, you know, it just all depends on the conditions. If it's firm, you know, those fairways shrink a lot. They're all sloped and they don't kind of really funnel into the fairway, they funnel away from it.

It just depends really on the conditions and I think if it's soft, then the scores will be a little bit better than they were in '07 and if it's firm, then we'll see.

Q. Considering how well you played at the U.S. Open you don't need a lot of confidence. When you play this week does it give you a little bit extra going into next week?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I feel like I've been playing really well all year. The game is good, it's really good right now and I feel like I got control over all my clubs and just really just got to give myself the opportunity to get it done on Sundays and I think the only thing that's really held me back from winning a bunch of times this year is, you know, just making a few more putts.

Q. Along those lines, I'm sure you probably don't think about this but we talked about it a lot. Eight straight seasons with a win on the PGA TOUR. How much does that motivate you going forward this season to try to continue that streak?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Of course I want to keep that streak going. I need to have more seasons with multiple wins, not just one.

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