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WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

March 26, 2019

Dustin Johnson

Austin, Texas

CHRIS REIMER: I want to welcome our 2017 Dell Technologies Match Play champion, Dustin Johnson.

Dustin, opening thoughts on being back here at Austin Country Club, a course that's treated you pretty well.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I enjoy this golf course. I enjoy this event. I think it's since I've had success here the past couple of years. Yeah, it's a golf course that I really like playing. It's a lot of fun. I think it's a great match play event, especially the golf course.

Q. You and Bubba and Jason have won here. What does that tell you about this course and who can succeed out here?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Tells me good players won every year (laughter).

Yeah, I think it's a golf course that's -- I don't really think it suits just -- obviously me, Jason and Bubba hit it pretty far, but I don't think it's just a golf course that suits long hitters. You've got to hit a lot of different shots, a lot of good shots. I just think it's really an all around good golf course. But, yeah, you can definitely take advantage of your length here, if you're driving it well.

Q. And I also wanted to ask you about just your track record in WGC events, obviously it's very good. Are the WGC events something that you put a little more emphasis on or is it just from your perspective just another tournament you just happen to win these on a frequent basis?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean you definitely know when you're at a WGC compared to like a normal Tour event for the most part just because it's a bigger tournament in our schedule. So you definitely know that. But I don't prepare any differently.

But, yeah, I like the WGC events. They have some of our best fields of any tournament. It's something that -- it's a tournament where you want to play well in.

Q. What did you take away from your Sunday round?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: That I'm going to go back to Tampa for sure. I like the golf course. I like the event. I think it sets up well for me. Sunday was -- the conditions were tough. And you know it going into it. This was just a hair off, I hit a lot of really good shots that did not turn out very good that I felt like. So it was just -- the other three days the wind direction was the same and kind of stayed there for -- kind of blew the same direction the first three days, really. And then Sunday it ended up blowing the same direction as it did the first three days but it started completely opposite. And I felt like I had a tough time getting a judge on the wind. And it's not a golf course that you can be off by much.

So that's where I felt like I struggled. I felt like I hit good shots, just misjudged the wind quite a few times.

Q. What challenges mentally does it present as opposed to the traditional format?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, you're just playing against the guy you're on the golf course with. It doesn't matter what any of the other guys are doing. So it's you versus him. So it's different. We don't play a lot of match play events. If you have a bad hole, you can just put it in your pocket and walk to the next one, too.

It's definitely something different, but it's something that I enjoy. I like playing match play. With this field you've got to bring your game every day, if you want to win your matches. But hopefully that day you don't have it all that you can somehow get by.

Q. How do you feel about these green complexes in terms of their difficulty to read and placement of the ball?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I feel like the greens are really good here. They're slopey and there's definitely quadrants in them. But I don't know, I feel like they're tough to read because they've got a lot of slope. You can kind of see what the ball is doing. But it is tough to get close to the hole unless -- if you can control your distance well with your irons then you can hit some really good shots. Depending on the wind and how firm the greens are is really how this golf course kind of -- it determines how well you can play it.

Q. I was going to ask you, this tournament seems to be a little fickle. In 2017 when you won, you never trailed. And then last year you didn't make it out of the three pool plays. Can you talk about just how it can be a very fickle thing.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I just played bad last year, pretty simple. I played a lot better the year before. Last year I was just struggling. It's pretty simple.

Q. Two things for you, what is your confidence level over the years, not necessarily this year, when you face a certain player? Have you ever, for example, have you ever had an opponent and thought, this should be no problem?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I've made that mistake of not thinking somebody was going to be a problem and lost a couple of times, actually.

Q. Same player?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Maybe (laughter).

But match play, that's the thing, it doesn't matter what your rank is, it doesn't matter how you're playing. If you don't go out and play well that day, you're probably going to lose. It's pretty simple. So I don't underestimate anyone I'm playing. And I've learned that lesson. I try to come out and bring everything I've got every day, no matter who it is.

Q. Kind of along those lines, did you happen to watch the ping-pong show last night when they announced the full bracket?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I did not.

Q. When did you find out who was in your group and did you care?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I don't care just because -- I mean it just doesn't matter. It's a blind draw. You're going to have to face three good opponents, and so it really doesn't matter who they are. Because for me they're all good and I'm going to have to play well if I want to beat any of them.

Q. Do you know who you play tomorrow?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Tomorrow I play Chez. And then, yeah, I had to look up my third one, because my text didn't come through. But, yeah, I play Chez and then Hideki on Friday and...

CHRIS REIMER: I should probably know that.

Q. Branden Grace.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: There you go.

Q. Wondering how you think the approach of young players on Tour has changed since you came up and whether that's sort of changed your mentality at all, whether it's mentally or physically or whatever else?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: What are you asking?

Q. There's a lot more young winners on Tour now. I'm curious whether that's changed your approach at all, whether you think there's a reason why guys are winning at a much younger age now?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I won when I was a rookie. But, no, I don't think -- the guys are just getting better prepared when they come out on Tour for the first year, whether that's through college or however they're doing it, I don't really know.

But, yeah, the guys that are coming out there's lots of really good young players. I don't think it's any different. It's been like that since I've been on Tour. Every year you get a few really good young players that come out on Tour. And I think I think there's a whole different reasons for that.

Q. I think this is the third straight year that you've been No. 1 overall seed. So does that make you the Duke of Golf?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I have no idea (laughing).

Q. Do you like being the No. 1 seed, does it matter one way or another? That's generally the biggest target.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I do. I definitely like being the No. 1 seed. It's where I think most golfers want to be is in the top spot. So for me it shows me that what I'm doing is the right things. It kind of drives me to keep working hard and to keep doing the things that I'm doing.

CHRIS REIMER: Dustin, good luck this week.

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