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WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

March 20, 2018

Dustin Johnson

Austin, Texas

CHRIS REIMER: Welcome back to our champion, Dustin Johnson. Some opening comments on returning to Austin Country Club for the World Golf Championships, Dell Technologies Match Play.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's always good to come back to Austin. It's a golf course I really enjoy playing.

Obviously last year I had a really good match play. And to come back and try to defend again is something that I'm looking forward to. I feel like I haven't seen the golf course yet, but I'm sure it's in as good of shape as it always is. Exciting to be back.

CHRIS REIMER: About as dominant a performance in this tournament last year. The championship match was the first time you got to the 18th hole. What was clicking last year?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I think everything was. I drove it well, hit good iron shots. I was putting well. I think every match I played, I was pretty well under par in all of them. I had some close ones, but it was because both guys -- me and the guy I was playing with were playing very well. So it was a lot of fun. Obviously it's always fun winning.

But this year, if I want a chance to repeat, then I'm going to have to do a lot of the same things, which is I'm going to have to play good every single match.

Q. From a mental side of things, what do you think distinguishes guys on the PGA Tour who are good match play golfers, specifically?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I don't know. Match play is one of those things that's definitely difficult. We don't play it that much on Tour. We don't get too much experience playing it. But it's something I always enjoy. It's just you versus one other guy. The only kind of -- you're only worried about that match, really. It doesn't matter what the rest of the guys are doing. But it's something that is -- I always enjoy playing it. As far as how to be a really good match play player, I'm not really sure.

Q. If you met someone and you knew they were a good golfer, but let's say they were a stranger and you only knew their personality. From that personality, do you think you could tell whether they'd be good at match play?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, I don't think so. Not me, at least.

Q. I think you answered my question a minute ago, though, I'll run it by you anyway. Are you a good match play player or are you just a good player? In other words, what's more important, playing good golf or being good at match play?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Playing good golf, I think. That takes care of it. If you play well usually that takes care of your opponent. Obviously there are certain situations where you're kind of just playing him. But for the most part, you're out there just trying to make as low a score as you can on every hole.

Q. I think it took four years before you got out of the first round, what was that all about?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It had a lot to do with the golf course. I don't want to talk bad about any golf course, but it wasn't my favorite place to play. It didn't suit me very well.

Q. Patrick and Jordan are going to play each other on Friday. And I'm curious, having played with them in the Ryder Cup, what makes both of them so special and what a match between those two might look like?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It will be a good match. They're both really good players. So it will probably be an interesting match to watch just in the fact that you never know what's going to happen. And especially with Patrick.

But I think they're both good match play players. They're both good players which makes it a good match. But Ryder Cup and stuff, it's hard to compare to this. It's completely different.

But this week, it's a great week. It's a fun week and you've got a great field. Every match is going to be tough. And you're looking to win every single one.

Q. How much does the intimidation factor come into play, especially in match play? Since you're No. 1 in the world, do you feel like that's a big advantage you can use?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Hopefully. But I don't know if it does. But if it works, it works, that's great. If not, I just go out there and play my opponent.

Q. Do you try to use it?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, I just try to go out and shoot as low of score as I can.

Q. There's a lot of athletes, not only golf, talk about self-talk when they were playing. They have like little force pushing them to grind. Do you have this little voice talking to you when you play?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I hope not. But -- I mean, yeah, obviously you talk to yourself, I guess, sometimes. Most of the time probably when things aren't going well. You just try to maybe motivate yourself or however you do it, I don't know, everybody's different, but, yeah, sometimes you try to get some self motivation in there, especially if things aren't going as well as they should.

Q. Would you have thought at the start of the year that Vegas would have better odds for Tiger winning the Masters than you?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I don't know. I wouldn't have thought about that. It's fine with me. He's playing pretty well right now.

Q. Did you watch last week?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No. I watched a few minutes here and there. I checked the scores, but that's about it.

Q. (No microphone.)
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Probably.

Q. Without getting into details of beating a horse to death on that match with you and Kisner back in your junior days, just him being in your group, how much time did you guys spend together as juniors? What did you guys do?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, we played South Carolina junior golf, we played a bunch of tournaments against each other. And then high school golf we played against each other. I've known Kis for a long time, and we've played a lot together.

Q. Did you drive to a bunch of tournaments together?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: He lived in Aiken, so he was kind of a little bit far away. But we were always hanging out at tournaments.

Q. Have you always gotten along with him?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah.

CHRIS REIMER: Dustin, thanks for stopping by.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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