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BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

September 11, 2016

Dustin Johnson

Carmel, Indiana

JOHN BUSH: We'll get started. Like to welcome the 2016 BMW Championship winner Dustin Johnson into the interview room. He becomes a two-time winner of this tournament and he moves to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings. Dustin, incredible show this week, if we can get some comments, please.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, it was, today was a great day. Paul really played well and made it quite interesting. Especially after the third hole we were tied at 17.

I birdied the first and then bogeyed 2 and 3. He birdied 2 and 3.

So, I felt like it was pretty tight all day. I got a little momentum going on the front, birdieing 4, 5, 7 and 8. Hit some really nice wedge shots in there on a few of them. And then birdied 11 again and then 15 he rolled in a nice eagle putt, and then I made one right on top of him. I think that was kind of the turning point there.

JOHN BUSH: Your thoughts on heading to East Lake with that No. 1 spot?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I'm in a great position. I control my own destiny with the position I'm in. I still got to go there and win the TOUR Championship, if I want to be the FedExCup champion.

JOHN BUSH: Questions?

Q. There was some talk of Player of the Year honors. What are your thoughts?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: There's still one more week to go in the year, but I feel like I've had a great year so far, leading the FedExCup going into the TOUR Championship, so I don't know, you got to -- I think our peers vote on it, so you got to ask them.

Q. Is this about or where do you rank this in terms of complete performances?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: What do you mean?

Q. Just in terms of having so much working for you, so many parts of your game working for you.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Obviously, my performance this week was fantastic. It's a big event, it's a playoff event, and a lot of guys around the lead. I played some really good golf the past four days. It was four really solid rounds.

Q. In the past you might have been known more so for what you didn't win and now this year you've become obviously known for what you have won and the fashion you've done it. Obviously you had the issue of U.S. Open you got over. Even today and yesterday, you make a bogey and then three or four birdies on top of it. You mentioned 2 and 3 and then the eagle putt. What has made you turn things around in that fashion?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It wasn't like I hit bad shots or anything on 2 and 3. I just hit good putts that just lipped out. So it was nothing to get upset about. And it was the third hole of the day, I still had 15 more to go that I could birdie. So I wasn't upset at all. I knew I had four par-5s still to play and so I just -- you can't worry about the holes you make bogey on, the only thing you can do is make birdie on the next shot.

Q. Do you see a difference between your self and how you may have reacted in the past to now, this year?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, the big difference is my wedge game. My wedge game's improved a lot. So I know if I'm driving it well and hitting it in the fairway and get a wedge in my hand I'm going to have good looks at birdies. Today I hit a lot of great wedge shots. Started on the first hole. And I continued to hit some really nice ones all day. I had quite a few really short birdie putts and that was the big difference. Then, obviously, the putter's been working pretty well this week. So, hopefully, that's going to continue on into East Lake and we'll be holding up that trophy at the end.

Q. Maybe it's the wedge play, was there something in December or January that made you think, this could be the best season of my career?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No. I always think every year's going to be the best season.

Q. How would you compare this week's performance to the U.S. Open and Bridgestone as far as how you played?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: The U.S. Open was obviously some really good golf that I played on a very difficult golf course. I think this golf course is difficult, I just I think I played really well this week. But my performance this week was definitely up there in the top of this year.

Q. You've had some really good years, but each year it's almost like, he's done a lot, but he could do more. One of these years it's going to all come together, potentially. Did you hear that, did it motivate you at all and is this sort of your answer to that?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I think that winning the U.S. Open was definitely a kick start. It kind of gave me a lot of confidence, especially with all the things that's happened to me in the Majors where I've been so close and had a couple mishaps or a couple bad penalties, whatever, whatever happened, I've been very close. So, winning that, finally getting that first Major, I think that was a big deal and that kind of kick started my year.

Q. The Ryder Cup. Obviously, you're going to be such a key member of the team. Two years ago you weren't there. Just curious if during that time you watched any of it, if you were mad that you weren't there, if it, if you sort of thought you could have made a difference.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Didn't you ask me this the other day when we were walking in the clubhouse?

(Laughter.) No, it's okay. I don't need an answer.

But, yeah, in 2012, obviously, I had a great Ryder Cup. I went 3-0. And then 2014 I missed. And I watched very little, but, yeah, that was probably the only tournament that I missed that I was kind of regretting, because it's one of my favorite events to play, it's so much fun, and I always look forward to the Ryder Cup, or the Presidents Cup. I enjoy, I really enjoy playing them and I'm definitely looking forward to this Ryder Cup.

Q. You said that this is a difficult golf course. Can you give us some impressions about Crooked Stick?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I didn't hear it.

Q. Can you give us some impressions about Crooked Stick, the golf course. You said it was difficult.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, when I'm playing, well playing the pro-am -- well I played it in 2012, it was here, I felt like I played pretty good. I don't remember what I shot. 7-under total?

Q. 7th place.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I know I finished top-10. I just can't remember what I shot. But I just know it's, fairways are fairly narrow and the rough's pretty deep, but it's definitely a course you got to drive it really well on, which I did this week. I felt like I drove it really well. The greens got a lot of slope in them, it's a course you got to be really control your ball and control your distance. Kind of put the ball in the right side of the hole, depending upon where the flags are. I think the guys did a great job this week with the weather, we got a bunch of rain, but the course held up really nicely and it was in fantastic shape all week.

Q. When you're firing on all cylinders and driving like this and putting like this, do you think it's a fair fight against the rest of the field?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, it's golf, but it's always a fair fight. Anything can happen. It doesn't matter how good you're playing, it can always -- there's always something that can happen. I would know. Something can happen. Believe me. Whether you want it to or not, it can.

Q. Do you attribute spending more time with Wayne this year to being mentally stronger coming down the stretch?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, just practice. The more I practice, the more I'm in the situation, the more I know what to do and what to expect in the situations and kind of know what shots that I can hit and not to hit and I like it. I enjoy being in the hunt and having to hit really good shots when you need to and I felt like the last few times I've been there I've hit some great golf shots to finish it off.

Q. What has he said to you about the way you played this season?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, he just tells me how good I've been playing and how proud he is of me.

Q. Not sure if you're aware that Jason Day withdrew with a back injury, do you smell or sense blood in the water in terms of going for his No. 1 spot now?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I didn't know that until you just told me, but I'm sure he'll be just fine by East Lake.

Q. Is it something that you're chasing down? Do you have a, do you watch the numbers, do you realize you're getting closer by the minute?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, obviously, I just won, so, yeah, I'm going to get closer. But I mean I still got to go out and play some really good golf. I don't think about, oh, I need to get to No. 1. I just got to go out and just keep winning and keep having a chance to win on Sunday. That's the goal for me. Just focus on that.

Q. You don't ever seem to get overly excited on the golf course until it's over, whether it was the putt on like 4 or the eagle on 15. What's going on inside and have you ever did a fist pump ever in your life?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I gave a little one on 14 when I made the eagle.

Q. It was like this big (Indicating)?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, I expected to make it, so. But, yeah, even afterwards I was like, man, I could have gave a good fist pump there and that would have been pretty nice. But I was thinking it walking to 15 tee, or 15 where I did it, and then walking to 16 tee I'm like -- I don't know, I just -- I still got more golf to play, so I feel like sometimes if I get too excited like it's harder to calm back down to hit the next shot. So I just try to just stay focused and worry about what I'm doing on the next hole.

Q. When you were growing up and becoming really good at golf and whatever you were watching in golf was there anyone that was like personality as a golfer that you really liked?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I was always a big Freddie Couples and Davis Love. Those were my kind of guys that I liked growing up, their personalities.

Q. Given the way Paul played these last two weeks is there a small part of you glad that you're not going to be facing him at the Ryder Cup?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, obviously he's playing really good right now, so he would be a tough opponent. But I'm playing pretty good, too, so I'm up for the challenge.

Q. Was Casey like a fly you couldn't swat away? I mean, it seems like every time you almost pulled away, he kept coming back. I guess my question is, did you want to hit him with a fly swatter?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, I did not. No, I knew today, even starting the day, that I was going to have to play good, because there wasn't really a lot of wind blowing out there, the golf course is in really good shape. And so I knew I was going to have to go out and play good. I knew if I went out and shot even par, I was going to lose. So I knew I was going to have to go out and attack the golf course and play the game that I've been playing the last few days. Me and Paul played really nicely all day today.

Q. Is it fair to say this is the best, this summer's the best you've ever played?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. For sure.

Q. If so, how much better do you think you can get? And how do you measure that?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: There's still a lot of room for improvement, for sure. There's quite a few things that I'm going to go home this week and work on. Definitely feel like I can get better with some things and hopefully improve by the time I get to East Lake in a couple weeks. Yeah, the irons. My mid irons, which I feel like I've been hitting really well all year, I did not hit them great this week. I hit some good long iron shots, really good wedge shots, but like 6, 7, 8, 5-iron, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, weren't very good.

Q. What did you hit on 15?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: 4. Went 230, 230 something of the.

Q. Paul said he thinks you have the perfect personality for this game. Do you agree?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Sure.

JOHN BUSH: All right. All set? Our BMW Championship winner, Dustin Johnson. Thank you, sir.

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