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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 12, 2020

Dustin Johnson

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's tough, I had a hard time with -- I had a lot of mud balls. A lot of them.

Q. Why is that?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's been every day though. I don't know. I wish I had the answer. I'm sure the TOUR wishes they did too.

Q. Was it everywhere or was it just 11?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, it's every hole.

Q. In college you guys play with like your girlfriend or your mom following you, you played three times across the street I think and in similar situations, so once you hit the first shot tomorrow will the absence of fans be something that kind of disappears?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean it's definitely going to be strange. Obviously the TOUR, it's not a decision that they make lightly, but it's obviously it's for the best. They feel like it's the best for their players and everyone else to not have spectators. It's going to be strange tomorrow, but it's just something we'll have to get used to.

Q. You saw the NBA suspended its season. Was there any part of you that even wondered if they were going to play this tournament and do you think they should?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I feel like, I think what the NCAA did is, not having fans, I think the being able to play with no fans I think obviously mitigates the risk, but it's going to be interesting to see what happens. But I think for now they're planning on playing all the events.

Q. Do you agree with that?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean I want to play. It's not really my decision though.

Q. Not yet.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Not yet.

Q. Jay said that the sport kind of lends itself to social distancing. Do you kind of feel safer because there is this 400 acres and naturally you guys aren't breathing down each other like you might be in a basketball game.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean obviously, yeah, obviously basketball's a lot different. The guys are in very close proximity the whole game. And you know, you can't get around that touching other people, where out here you can, you're by yourself.

Q. You're known as the greatest wingspan in golf in terms of slapping hands with fans and going to the next tee. Are you still doing that?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, air fist bumps, just for now.

Q. What's the course playing like out there, the fairways, greens, the shape?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: The course is in really good shape, it's a little soft, I mean obviously unfortunately today I felt like I played really well but I just had a lot of mud balls and they were going in some funny spots. I felt like I played pretty solid, but it's just, it was tough to control the golf ball.

Q. What was the worst one in?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I got really lucky on 16. I hit a great drive, I had 190 hole with a little help, it was perfect 7-iron in the middle of the fairway and I was aiming left of the green just because there was mud on it and it hit in the rough or the little first cut just left of the cross ties on the right. I mean it started left of the green and cut 30 yards. But I got lucky it kicked on the green, I had a nice eagle putt. But same with on 2. I had a really good number, I hit a hybrid and I mean, it went in the right trees. I just had -- same on, I had the worst one was probably I had 88 yards on 6 and a lob wedge sliced 20 yards, which you can't do that even if you want to.

Q. Well, it seems like you're driving it well.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I'm driving it well, I'm swinging it good.

Q. Whoever wins this thing on Sunday is going to put a ball in the hole on 18 --
DUSTIN JOHNSON: There will be a couple people there maybe.

Q. How do you celebrate? Will we see fist pumps and hats thrown down and everything else there?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean it's, obviously it's going to be, it will be different, but it's still -- there will still be enough people with you guys and maybe some family members and but obviously the people on TV get to still watch, it's just not going to be, it won't be as many people standing around the green as normal.

Q. Do you think it's going to be different?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, it will be a lot different but it's not going to feel any different for us as players just because we're still playing for exactly the same, a trophy and prize money and everything else. So it will just be, yeah, the energy will be a little different.

Q. What do you think, some of these sports that are getting flat-out cancelled right now, do you think if people tune in to watch on Saturday they will be happy to see something live on TV or disappointed that the TOUR is not suspending like the other sports? What would you suspect the reaction will be publicly?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I think they will be happy they get to watch it from their house. Because obviously most people are staying home and not really going anywhere, so they will be happy they got something to watch. Or at least I would be.

Q. To your point about the trophy, not sure if you heard, ACC, SEC all the Power Five tournaments have been called off. Most of the sports are suspending until April 1st. So they actually handed the ACC trophy to Florida State just because they won the regular season. When you see an image like that as a competitor, what is that like?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, obviously I don't know. I can't really speak for them, but it's -- obviously they're doing the best thing they think for their sport and their players, but other than that I'm glad we're still playing.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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