	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE NORTHERN TRUST

August 26, 2017

Dustin Johnson

Old Westbury, New York

Q. Your thoughts on today?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, hitting it great. Doing everything really well. Rolled the putter good. Missed quite a few short ones on the front nine. If I ever hit a bad putt -- you know, burned a lot of edges, lipped a couple out there on the front. I hit a lot of great shots out there. I drove it well. Drove it in the fairway. Hit a lot of quality iron shots and had a lot of good looks at birdie. Had a lot of tricky reads and just didn't hole anything.

I felt like I got a lot of confidence in the putter. I feel like I'm rolling it really nicely. If I could just keep doing the same thing I'm doing right now tomorrow, it will be tough.

Q. The par you made on 14 was crucial. You had to just pitch it out in the fairway and you knocked it tight.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, if I hit it in the fairway there, I'm going to have a good look at birdie. I'm hitting the ball really well. As long as I've got a swing at the flag -- with that pin location in the middle, I'm going to be hitting sand wedge. It was just frustrating, I just pushed my tee shot a little bit and it ran down there to where I just had to chip. I just basically chipped it into the fairway sideways and then to five feet it made it.

Q. What are your thoughts going into Sunday?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, tomorrow is going to be all the same. The game plan is going to stay the same. Just got to continue to hit fairways and put it on the green and on the right side of the hole. Who knows what's going to happen tomorrow.

This golf course is tough. You can shoot a really good score or not. I just need to come out and do the same thing I've been doing. I'm swinging it really well and got a lot of confidence in the game right now. Looking forward to it.

Q. As you look back on this round today, your strengths were what?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I did everything really well. Driving it good. I'm really hitting my irons well. I feel like I'm giving myself a lot of opportunities for birdie. You know, I missed quite a few short putts there throughout the day, but you know, never hit bad putts. Just hit good putts that burned the edges.

I feel like I'm rolling it really nicely. Obviously it was great to finish with a birdie there on 18 to cut it to three. But you know, this golf course, you can go out and shoot a really good score tomorrow and it's going to be tough.

I feel like I'm playing really well. Got a lot of confidence in the game right now and I'm looking forward to it.

Q. Do you feel like right now that your game tee-to-green and on the green is where it was in the beginning of the year when you were playing so well?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, it's getting there. I feel like, you know, I'm swinging like I was, driving it like I was, and so yeah, it's definitely starting to get back to where it was there at the beginning of the year, which is very nice.

Q. Ten times he's had a 54-lead and converted nine of those into victory. How do you apply pressure on a guy that seems to be nearly unbeatable with a 54-hole lead?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, I like coming from behind.

Q. Why is that better than having the lead for you on Sunday?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, I'd rather have a three-shot lead. Let's be honest here. I'd rather have a three-shot lead. But it's not that bad coming from three shots back, either, because that can change in one hole, really.

But obviously Jordan's playing really well, so he's going to be tough to beat tomorrow. I just need to go out and do exactly what I've been doing the first three days. Just drive it in the fairway, hit quality iron shots. I feel like I'm swinging it very, very well. If I can drive it well again tomorrow and maybe hole a couple putts, maybe some of his putting will rub off on me and I'll start holing them.

I think it's going to be a fun day. I think it's going to be a battle but we'll see who is on top at the end.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297