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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

May 10, 2017

Dustin Johnson

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

AMANDA HERRINGTON: We'd like to welcome FedEx leader, world No. 1, Dustin Johnson to the interview room at THE PLAYERS Championship. Coming off three wins and a runner up last week, headed to your ninth start here at TPC Sawgrass. I assume you've seen the course. What do you think of the changes?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I think the golf course is great. It's in the best shape I've ever seen it. The greens are perfect, fairways are perfect. You know, the few changes they made I thought are really good. You know, 12 obviously is a lot different, but I like the fact that it gives you more options than before. The old No. 12 you just kind of -- everyone had to lay up to a certain spot and you'd kind of wedge it on green. Now you've got some options. You can think about if you want to go for it or if you want to lay it up, so I thought that's really good changes.

Around the greens added a little bit more fairway in some spots around the greens. I thought all the changes looked great, and then obviously 6 and 7, just the holes didn't change any, just visually they're -- it's a lot prettier.

Q. If you've won the U.S. Open, can you win this tournament?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I believe so. I feel like I'm playing really well right now. Obviously it's going to take four really good rounds if I want to be there on Sunday. But I feel like I'm starting to play this golf course a little bit better. Last year I felt like -- I was close. Obviously Jason, he played really well here last year, so he was tough to beat.

But this golf course is tough. You've got to have all facets of your game working if you want to contend around here. You've got to be doing everything well because you've got to hit all kinds of different shots, every club in your bag, and you've got to really control your golf ball.

But I feel like the game is in really good shape, and getting a lot more confidence, especially after last week. I played a lot better on the weekend. I've had a couple good practice days the last two days, so I'm excited to get the tournament started tomorrow.

Q. Your record here has been a little spotty, but do you feel like given the last 10 months, 12 months, it kind of -- the past records are kind of out the window with you just because you're playing at such a different level?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, yeah, I think my game as a whole has gotten a lot better. You know, so I'm interested to see how I can play here this week. But it's definitely a new challenge. I haven't had a lot of success around here, so it's definitely a challenge for me. But I feel like if I'm going to play well here, this is the time that I will play well because I feel like the game -- everything throughout my whole game is in really good form right now.

Q. One after the other your peers have sat where you are and said that what makes you such a formidable No. 1 is that nothing at all seems to bother you. Are they right?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I guess. (Laughter.) You know, I try not to let things bother me. I think I do a pretty good job of it.

You know, it's just golf, at the end of the day. I try to have fun out there and enjoy it. I try not to let anything bother me.

Q. Is there anything about being the world No. 1 that has made that harder?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Not so far, but you know, I guess I've been here for a little while now. But for me, I feel like it's where I should be, and it also kind of -- it drives me to continue to work, to continue to try to get better, and to continue to perform each and every week at a very high level.

Q. What makes you nervous?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I get nervous every day when I'm stepping on the tee, and any time coming down the stretch in a tournament like if I'm around the lead or in the lead. I feel it, but obviously I've been there enough times now to where I know how to handle it. But yeah, I still get nervous, though, absolutely.

Q. What makes you excited, and what's the difference between nervous and excited?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I get excited every day.

Q. I can tell. (Laughter.)
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I get excited when I'm playing with Tatum and hanging out with the family. But playing golf, you know, it's a lot to do with controlling your emotions, so not getting too down, not getting too hot. I get excited when I hit good shots or make a long putt, but try not to just get too excited about it.

Q. Earlier today Adidas announced that they had sold TaylorMade for about $425 to a private equity firm. Obviously TaylorMade is the company that makes your equipment. When did you find out about that sale, and what was your reaction when you found out that it had finally gone through?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, obviously I knew that it's kind of been for sale and I knew there were some interested parties in buying it. But yeah, I mean, I found out probably about the same time you guys did. Today, on the range this morning, I knew they were going to announce it.

But TaylorMade is a great company, and I don't know why Adidas sold it, but it doesn't really -- it doesn't affect me at all or doesn't affect the brand at all. It's just someone else owns it.

Q. Does it cross your mind from time to time that if you played the Masters the story might be different?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, not really, because I didn't play. Obviously I would have loved to have played and who knows what would have happened, but that's what it is. Who knows what would have happened. Sergio played great. He would have been tough to beat that week. Hats off to Sergio. It was good to see him get his first major.

Q. Speaking of 12, just what will your strategy be there? Pretty simple for you?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, it kind of all depends on the wind direction and how I'm feeling, but most likely I'll just lay up and wedge it.

Q. You drive the ball so long that you're probably not going to hit very many drivers this week, correct?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I can hit a pretty good mixed bag here. I hit quite a few drivers, maybe a couple 3-woods, 2-irons, 3-irons. I kind of hit a little bit of everything. But yeah, I get to hit quite a few drivers, I think.

Q. Where will you hit them?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I hit it on 1, won't hit it on 2, hit it on 5, 7, 9, and then on the back, 11, 14, 15. So I hit a decent amount of drivers. Maybe 16, just depending on the wind.

Q. 18?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, I won't hit it on 18.

Q. 3-wood?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, probably an iron.

Q. Really?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: There's nowhere for me to hit it there.

Q. Do you have a 1-iron or a 2-iron that you would hit on that hole?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I have a 2-iron.

Q. Given the state of your wedge play over the last couple years, have you ever found yourself being in a position where you normally would have gone for a par-5 but figured you could do just as well with a wedge?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, over the last probably year, definitely. Even last week, quite a few times I could have gone for the green, but I just felt like even if I hit a great shot, you know, it still probably wasn't going to be on the green, and it was going to leave me in a spot that was going to be difficult to chip from, so I just laid it up and tried to wedge it close, which I did most of the time. Might not have made the putt, but I felt like I wedged it pretty close every time and had better looks at birdie than if I would have tried to go for the green.

But yeah, I mean, definitely do that a lot more than I used to. Before I never would have laid up just because I felt like I could chip it closer than I was going to wedge it. But now it's the other way around, I feel like I can wedge it closer than I can chip it, obviously in certain situations.

Q. So you're a bad chipper?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, exactly. (Laughter.)

Q. Does anything bother Austin?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: You'd have to ask him that. I'm not real sure.

Q. How often, if at all, do you depend on him to help you keep that even keel during a round?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I don't. Sorry, I was just thinking. Usually if I get mad, it's usually at him. (Laughter.)

Q. What's the most difficult part of playing this golf course when it comes to making conservative decisions? Are there any holes out there that you're just dying to hit the driver or hit a risky club from the fairway but you know for a fact that you've got to throttle back on that, and do you have a game plan for that this week?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, I think I've got a good game plan for the golf course, but this week it's all about -- it doesn't matter what you hit off the tee. You've got to hit it in the fairway. It's very important to play from the fairway here so you can control the ball coming into the greens.

But you know, it all just depends. Every hole is different depending on the wind and depending on where they put the flags. But it's very important to play from the fairway no matter what club you hit off the tee.

Q. Do you know you've only broken 70 twice in 26 rounds here?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, but thanks for that. (Laughter.)

I think both was last year, too, maybe. One last year.

Q. You opened with a 68 one year.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Was that last year?

Q. No, I think it was like three or four years ago. You broke par three times last year, though, for the first time.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: There we go. I knew something was good last year.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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