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WGC MEXICO CHAMPIONSHIP

February 19, 2020

Dustin Johnson

Mexico City, Mexico

MARK WILLIAMS: DJ, Dustin Johnson, thank you for joining us here at the WGC Mexico Championship. Defending champion, of course. What will we need to see out of you to come back here and repeat again as the titleholder and take the trophy home?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, yeah, I feel like the game is in good form, but obviously you've got to do a lot of things well around here if you want to win. But I like the golf course. I've felt comfortable on it, and I'm comfortable up here playing at the altitude.

But yeah, you've got to do everything. It's really narrow, so first and foremost, got to drive it well, and then obviously these greens are really small and undulated, so if I can control the distance of my golf ball, then it'll be a pretty good week.

MARK WILLIAMS: You obviously do have a great affinity with this place having won twice. Last year when you won it was your 20th PGA TOUR title. Not a lot of players have done that. Since then, you haven't won. Does that, one, bother you, and two, will we see you win this year to continue that streak that we all know about, that you've won 12 seasons in a row at least one time?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I would think so. I feel like the game is in good form. Obviously I haven't played a whole lot. I had surgery right after the TOUR Championship, so I've only played maybe four events. So looking forward to -- I feel like the game is starting to come together, and yeah, last week I was obviously right there in position to have a chance to win there on Sunday, but yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to coming into this week, a golf course where I feel comfortable on it and I've had success on. With the game being pretty sharp right now, I'm looking forward to a good week here.

Q. A couple guys this week have said it's hard to trust the numbers you see, hitting 9-irons 210 yards, whatever the case may be because of the altitude, but you just said you're comfortable here. Do you just kind of ignore that, or is it that part of it that makes you comfortable?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, I've got my numbers and I know the percentage or what it might be, so yeah, I just do it and try to play that shot, that number. You're going to get some mystery numbers every once in a while, but you've just got to deal with it and keep going.

Q. Rory said today that he has no interest in the Premier League for various reasons he mentioned. Do you think someone of his stature basically saying no will have any influence on other decisions, and where do you stand on it at the moment?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, I think obviously there's still a lot of moving parts, and you don't really -- I don't really stand anywhere. Right now I'm playing on the PGA TOUR. But a lot would have to happen for that to change. Like Rory said, you know, if there was a situation where I felt like I had to play, then I would, but for right now, yeah, I'm playing on the PGA TOUR.

Q. Did you hear his comments?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I heard a few of them.

Q. Did you watch on TV?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah.

Q. Dustin, 20 wins is a nice round number and you had the surgery after last season. Do you ever sit back and sort of reevaluate, like okay, what do I want to do in the second half of my career or anything like that, or do you just keep plugging away?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, for right now, I feel like I'm just getting started hopefully. But yeah, I mean, I'm always trying to get better. That's the goal. That's why I'm out here. That's why I practice is I'm trying to get better, and I want to compete and put myself in position to win golf tournaments each and every week.

Q. You have a nickname here in Mexico; you are El Rey de Mexico, the King of Mexico. What was the key for those victories and what was the secret, and can you say some words in Spanish?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Un poquito. That's about it. I can order a beer, too. (Laughter.)

Q. What was the key to your victories?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, like I said, I like the golf course. I played very well tee to green last year. Every year, that's kind of the key around here; if you can drive it in the fairways and hit a lot of greens, you can shoot some good scores. That's what I did the two years that I won is I drove it really well and controlled the distance with my irons, which is -- it's tough to do out here, but I felt like I've got a pretty good beat on what the ball is doing.

Yeah, I mean, that's why I think I've had a lot of success.

Q. You hit a ridiculously good bunker shot here on 18 when you won in '17 --
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I did.

Q. I'm curious, of all the times you've won, and all the years you've played, when you get to a certain hole, more in practice than in tournament, do you remember some of the more sick shots you've hit over the years?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, for me --

Q. Do you reflect that way?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, a little bit. Obviously that was one of them. I was standing out of the bunker, ball was way below my feet and I'm hitting kind of a three-quarter sand wedge, which you never really want out of a sand trap. But yeah, that was one of the better shots I've had on 18 winning a golf tournament. I do remember.

The other one that always stands out is the 6-iron at Oakmont. But yeah, so not all of them, but those two were very good, so yeah, they would stand out.

Q. Any at Riviera? Not Sunday, but...
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I didn't have to hit any good ones.

Q. Could you go back to the knee surgery and kind of just walk me through what the rehab process was like? How long did you go not hitting golf balls? When did you start getting back into it?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It was probably, I don't know, six, eight weeks before I maybe started hitting some wedges. Yeah, it was a good little bit.

But I mean, I could hit wedges probably, yeah, after eight weeks I started hitting wedges, then afterwards an 8-iron, and gradually worked from there.

Q. Is your knee 100 percent now would you say?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's close. Not quite 100, but it doesn't bother me doing anything other than when I get some funky lies in a sand trap or something would be the only time that it bothers me a little bit.

Q. Have you always gone driver on No. 2 here, or what's your philosophy? Has it changed over the years you've been here?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No. Well, the first time I came, I think I started by laying up there. But after playing here enough, I like driver there. It's a hard lay-up shot, and then it's even harder to wedge it close, especially to the back pins it's really difficult to wedge it close. Yeah, it sets up to my eye to hit a driver.

Q. I don't know how much TV you were watching today, but Rory also said that he didn't think the ball curved as much here because of the thin air. Have you found that to be true or have you paid close attention to it?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I don't know, I think it still curves. But yeah, maybe -- I don't know.

Q. Ask Bryson?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, exactly. My shot still looks the same.

Q. What's your opinion about Mexican golfers Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: What's my opinion of them? I think they're really nice players. I haven't played much with Abraham, but I've played quite a bit with Carlos, and Carlos has a very nice game. He does everything really well.

MARK WILLIAMS: Thank you, Dustin. Appreciate your time coming in. Good luck this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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