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U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 16, 2018

Dustin Johnson

Southampton, New York

Q. Dustin, talk about the round and your position for tomorrow.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I'm in a good position, in the lead tomorrow. Today's round, I didn't feel like I played badly at all. 7 over, you know, usually is a terrible score, but, I mean, with the greens the way they got this afternoon, I mean, they were very, very difficult.

You know, I felt like I hit -- you know, I had seven or eight putts that easily could have gone in the hole that didn't. You know, and that's the difference between shooting 7 over and even par.

Even like the putt on the last hole, I hit a really good putt. It was in the hole with breaking to the right, and it kicks left, goes up the hill, and lips out. So, you know, it's just difficult out there right now.

Q. Best 7 over par you ever shot?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Probably, yeah. For sure. I mean, I felt like I played pretty well. Couple bad shots, but, I mean, you're going to hit a few bad shots out here. It's just how it goes.

But, you know, still felt like I gave myself always a good -- you know, a decent look at par. And, you know, three three-putts, that doesn't help. I don't three-putt any today, then I'm right there at even par for the tournament.

I felt like my speed was pretty good all day. But, you know, the flags were in very difficult spots, and, you know, just made it really difficult with the wind.

Q. When you compare your speed today to yesterday, though, when the greens were wetter, it looked like early on, you were being more tentative in leaving putts short because you could see what could happen, what the danger was.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, yeah. I had six or seven putts today that I could have easily putted right off the green. But, you know, that's what it is. It's the U.S. Open. It's supposed to be tough. There was maybe only one or two flags that I felt like were maybe got a little dicey this afternoon, but the rest of them were fine.

You had to hit good, quality shots and good putts if you wanted to make a par.

Q. You and Brooks are obviously close friends. I heard you worked out today before you played. How would you describe your friendship, and how do you balance that with a rivalry, trying to win a U.S. Open.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: We're good buddies, but tomorrow when we tee off, if I'm playing with Brooks, we'll be friends after the round, not during.

Q. Many players say this course has gotten away from them. Would you agree with that?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I don't know. I mean, for the most part, we all had to play this afternoon. Yeah, it was a little -- I felt like the speeds were a little inconsistent. I don't mind it being fast. I don't mind it being tough. But, you know, I felt like they were just a little inconsistent. Some greens were extremely fast, and some I felt like were slow. So I felt like it was tough to get a good beat on the speed today.

Q. Jim Furyk said he thought the course transformed from the 1st hole to the 18th hole in the time span he was playing. Did you find the course was getting more difficult as --
DUSTIN JOHNSON: When I teed off, even on the first hole, I thought I made that putt, and it was -- I hit a great shot in there. 10 or 12 feet for birdie, and, you know, it was -- it was a very difficult putt, but it was another one I felt was right in the middle, and it -- you know, just kind of just missed.

But, yeah, the golf course, it played pretty similar all day for me, I felt like. But I just thought the speeds on the greens were a little inconsistent.

Q. What do you need to do tomorrow to win this?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Just go out and play like I did the first couple days, even like I did today. I felt like I hit a lot of great shots out there today. Need to putt a little better tomorrow.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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