TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

September 6, 2020

Dustin Johnson

East Lake Golf Club

Press Conference

JOHN BUSH: We'd like to welcome Dustin Johnson into the interview room, our 54-hole leader here at the TOUR Championship. Shot a 6-under par 64 today and currently leads by five. I know you're extremely happy about your ball-striking today compared to the first couple days. If we can get some comments on your third round as a whole.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, obviously today was much different off the tee. Hit a lot more fairways, and then the couple fairways I missed were just off.

Yeah, I know it was what I needed to do, to play here well, is just hit it in the fairway. I definitely hit a lot more fairways today.

JOHN BUSH: Your fourth consecutive 54-hole lead. If you can talk about your comfort right now and your golf tomorrow.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, obviously the game is in good form. I've got a lot of confidence in everything I'm doing right now. And yeah, I've played well over the last four events and I'm comfortable in the spot that I'm in.

Even the two Sundays where I didn't win I felt like I played really solid rounds. Just a couple guys played a little bit better.

Tomorrow is more of the same. I just need to go out and focus on what I'm doing and try and shoot the lowest score I can.

Q. Given your good range session yesterday, you still have to take it to the course. Was there ever a moment where you knew you had it, you knew you were dialed in?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Sure, I mean, I always think I'm dialed in.

Q. Yeah, but sometimes you're not.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: You're right, but it doesn't mean I don't think I am.

Q. When did it feel that way?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, yeah, from the first swing. I hit the shot I wanted to, and from there, I felt like all the tee shots I hit were really good and they were starting where I wanted them to with the right shape.

Yeah, I felt like I put pretty good swings on it all day, and even the couple drives I missed were still in the fairway, which was obviously a sign that I'm swinging well.

Q. What club did you hit on 9?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: 5-iron.

Q. When you go to the first tee tomorrow, in your mind are you tied for the lead, do you have a one-shot lead, or do you have a five-shot lead?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: It doesn't really matter. I've just got to go and play the best golf I can. But yeah, obviously I've got a five-shot lead.

But I'm going to try to increase that as much as I can, also.

Q. How did the swing feel different today than the last two days?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: It didn't. I mean, I felt like I was swinging well. It was just a little bit off, then obviously just the setup was just a hair off. What was happening is I was just hitting the driver a little bit towards the toe, and obviously when you hit it off the toe it does not like to cut.

Yeah, I mean, that was really all we did was just fix the setup a little bit. The swing was good. I felt like I was swinging well. It's just if I'm hitting it a little towards the toe, it's not going to fade. It was just setup.

Q. When did you guys figure that out? Was that in yesterday's post-round range session?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, when I was hitting some balls on the range. I knew it during the round. It was just hard to fix where -- while you're playing.

Q. Just curious, two things, do you feel like you're the best player in the world right now?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I do. And I think the stats show that, too.

Q. And then secondly, particularly when you drive it the way you did today, does the game feel easy?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, well, on this golf course, yes. But any time -- you talk to any player, but myself for sure, if I'm driving it in the fairway, I mean, the game is much easier. It's never easy, but the game is much easier if you do drive it in the fairway.

Q. Given the way you've played here over the last four or five tournaments, how did you ever shoot 80 a few weeks back, actually twice? How did that happen?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I wasn't feeling very good. Yeah, I don't even know. I don't remember that.

Q. I mean, seriously, you do probably have a better ability to put that out of your mind than anyone. How hard was it, though, in that instance?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: It wasn't hard at all. I mean, I don't know about you, but I hit bad shots all the time. They were just a little -- everything was compounded a little bit. I don't know. I just wasn't swinging very good. My mind wasn't in it. Yeah, it was just a lot of bad. But it's real easy to forget. All it takes is a couple good shots and it's gone.

Q. You've got just a long history of being able to move on from things quickly, but I'm curious if you ever look back, for example, this tournament four years ago when you had a chance to win the FedExCup, can you use stuff like that as any sort of motivation?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. I mean, well, to be the FedExCup champion is something that I want to do. It's something that I want on my resume when I quit playing golf. Yeah, I mean, it means a lot to me. So yes, I do want to win this tournament.

Obviously I had a chance to win it a few years ago. Not really in control of that one, so it's a little bit different. Obviously I didn't play well -- if I played well I would have, but on Sunday I didn't have a chance -- I couldn't control winning by my golf. I was pulling hard for Kevin Chappell. (Laughter.)

But yeah, tomorrow I do. I control my destiny. I need to go out and just play like I did today. Obviously I'm swinging good. I've got a lot of confidence in the game. So I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Q. Do you think it helps being on a course that just really grabs your attention from the start because of the fairways and the way it's set up, keeps you from looking ahead?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, it doesn't really matter. You've got to focus on the shot at hand and that's all you can really focus on. It's a lot like last week. Last week was kind of similar. Every shot you had to really pay attention to what you were doing. Same with this golf course. I enjoy that.

It's tough, but if you play well, you can shoot a good score.

JOHN BUSH: Dustin, thank you, sir.