MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 5, 2022

Dustin Johnson

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Very happy to welcome 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson. Dustin, thanks for joining us today in the interview room.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Thanks for having me.

Q. This is your second time since November of 2020 that you've played in the Masters, and it's the first time that you've played as Masters champion with now a full complement of patrons. What are you most looking forward to this week?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Obviously, this place is so special. The patrons make it special. Just walking around the course, even yesterday, today with full capacity, it's just totally different feeling out there. It's much better having all the fans and everyone out there. So it's going to be a special week. I know everyone's looking forward to having all the patrons back.

It's just different when you have everyone out there.

Q. Tiger seems to be overshadowing everything about this Masters. How do you feel about that?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's fine.

Q. Can you elaborate?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, I mean, it's going to be his first tournament back in a long time. So obviously he's one of greatest that's ever played this game and especially in our era, so anytime he tees it up, especially after his injuries, he's going to take a lot of attention, which is okay with me. I always like sliding in a little under the radar.

Q. D.J., being a guy from Columbia and Irmo, this place has always been special to you, but now to come back as a Masters champion, how does it feel?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: It feels great. It's something that as a kid growing up you dream about winning the Masters. For it to come true and to come back here last year as defending champ and then obviously this year as a champion, it's an unbelievably special place just coming to play the event, but after you're a Masters champion, it's even that much more special.

Every time you come back, it brings up all the memories. It's a place that I'm always going to cherish. Like I said, as a kid, I was always making putts to win the Masters. It's something that I'm going to look forward to forever.

Q. How do you see your game trending coming here to Augusta?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I feel like it's definitely trending in the right direction. Starting to see a lot more consistency with shots. I feel like I'm starting to control the golf ball a little bit better. The swing is starting to feel a lot better. Obviously around here, chipping and putting is a big part of it, but you've got to be able to control the golf ball, especially when the course gets firm and fast. Quality iron shots go a long way around here.

Q. It seems like over the last few years you've really become kind of an ambassador for golf in South Carolina, for the RBC Heritage, your foundations and golf school and stuff. What's it been like kind of that ambassador role, and how did that grow out after you won the Masters?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Being a Masters champ helps a lot of things. Yeah, I've always, since I've been on TOUR and turned pro, I've always tried to help junior golf in South Carolina, which I grew up playing, and it's something that's very dear to my heart.

My foundation, that's what I do is help junior golf. I have a big junior tournament in Myrtle Beach. So just whatever I can do to give back, especially to something that I grew up playing in, is kind of what we're trying to do.

Q. Just for the whole state, inspiring people, and then the RBC, the work that you do for them and stuff?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Absolutely. Being a part of RBC, which they're a huge supporter in golf, playing the Heritage every year -- I played my first couple years on TOUR, and then I think I played it the last four or five years. I really enjoy the golf course. I didn't enjoy it the first couple times I played it, but I have enjoyed it a lot more in recent years. Especially when the game got a little bit better and could control the golf ball a little bit more. So it's something I really look forward to playing every year.

Q. A couple questions about the course. First off, 11. How does that look to you this year compared to previous years?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's different. It's longer, but obviously the right side's a little more friendly, but there's still kind of, if you miss it right, you're behind those trees. So you're going to have to work some kind of shot, but at least you -- 90 percent of the time you're just chipping it back in the fairway, where you could hit it over there and maybe have a shot in depending on where it ends up.

It's not that much different, the tee ball.

Q. It still fits your shot off the tee, do you think, even better?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, the drive is still really similar. Maybe, if anything, they actually gave you a little bit more room on the fairway. But then they also made the right side of the green a little more tougher if you miss it right. It's just a little bit lower, so that bank's a little bit steeper. It makes it a little bit more challenging if you're over there.

Q. The other one I wanted to ask you about because it seems like it's really difficult to hit a very straight ball. You're moving it one way or the other, people are. The more I hear about 17, it just seems like a straight shot is required. Is that a difficult one for you?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, 17. There's a few tough drives. You've got 5. I feel like 5 is a really tough drive, 7, 17. Those are all really tough drives, and they're holes where you have to hit the fairway or you're going to struggle to make par.

Q. Is there anything you do differently this week preparing for the Masters in terms of your preparation, your routines, even your setup and your bag?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: No. I try not to change anything no matter where I go as far as the bag is concerned.

Preparation-wise, probably spend maybe a little bit more time around the greens hitting some chips and some putts, especially kind of we know where the flags are going to be, but just spend a little bit more time on short game, putting, just getting your speed dialed in.

But as far as -- I really try not to do anything different. Just like I said, spend a little bit more time out on the golf course.

Q. The menu for tonight's championship dinner came out. Did you have a chance to see it?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I have not seen it yet.

Q. The menu is actually sushi, sashimi, and chicken yakitori skewers as appetizers, and miso-glazed cod and Wagyu beef and strawberry shortcake. Can you talk about which item stands out?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: It sounds fantastic to me. They're all things I really enjoy, so I can't wait to have dinner tonight.

Q. Is there any items you're most excited about?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Wagyu steak is always good, and the miso black cod too. I love me a miso fish.

Q. Speaking of dinner, a couple years ago I think your mom made the trip, the hour trip to have dinner. She was telling me maybe it was two days before you won or maybe a day before, I can't remember. When you're back here, do you get to see your family a lot? What's that dynamic like?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, they come down. They usually come -- they'll come down tomorrow and then Thursday to Sunday. So they'll come down from Wednesday to Sunday, but it's only an hour drive. So it actually works out well for me. They drive down and drive home.

Yeah, they'll come have dinner one night or two nights at the house. Yeah, I get to see them enough. Then most of the time, they come down to Hilton Head too, so I get to spend a little more time with them that week. This week I try to just take it easy and relax and stay focused on what I'm trying to do.

Q. Going back to the dinner, trying to figure out if anything makes you uncomfortable. Maybe not on the golf course, but I wonder what it was like hosting a dinner in a room of green jackets, in a room of a pretty stout list of champions. How did that go for you? Were you just as comfortable as you are in any other setting, or were you at all nervous?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: A little bit, just because it was my first time being at one, and then obviously I was the host also. So definitely a little nervous. But in a good way. Obviously, it's an honor to be there and an honor to host the dinner.

It ended up being a wonderful dinner, but yeah, maybe the first little bit of it was a little bit uncomfortable.

Q. Did you have to speak?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I said a few words, not too many.

Q. As many as you do in here?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Exactly.

Q. I'm just curious, you had your green jacket after winning in November for five months, and then you had to return the property. Does every visit here, does it make you cherish every second because you didn't have it for a whole year?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I was fine with only having it for five months. To be honest, I'd have taken it for just a week. You're still a Masters champion. But yeah, obviously it's a special honor to have one of those. Anytime you come here, I cherish the moments, and when you wear the green jacket, obviously it's very special and it means a lot. So, yeah, it's always incredible.

Q. Going back to that, you were so close for so long to winning at the Masters, and you finally won in 2020. I'm wondering, when you come back here now, is there kind of a weight that's lifted off of you now that you've won that green jacket?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: For sure. It's definitely -- there's not as much pressure that I put on myself. Coming back here as a past champion. But I still want to do well. Next goal is to get another one.

Q. Is it weird not having Phil here? And just looking back at how that whole alternate tour controversy thing went down, what do you think about all that?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I try not to. This week for me, I'm trying to prepare for the Masters. Yeah, not having Phil here, obviously being who he is and how much this place means to him, is definitely a little strange. But as far as the other thing is concerned, I'm worried about playing the Masters.

Q. Talking about Tiger to wrap this up. What will that be like with him at the dinner? He's been to a bunch of them, I realize, but if you go back and think about, you know, car accident and a guy talking like he was having a hard time walking, et cetera, now playing in the Masters, will his presence be, do you think, even more meaningful tonight at the dinner?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, obviously Tiger means so much to this game and he's done so much for the game. Yeah, it's great. Obviously I'm really thrilled that he's back and he's playing and he's walking, for sure, because obviously at one point didn't know if that was even possible.

But yeah, I think it means a lot for him to be here, and hopefully he'll get to tee it up on Thursday.

Q. Rory kind of made a comment about you in '20 playing the first two rounds and not seeming like you did anything special while putting up great numbers, you know, taking care of the par-5s and just keeping the ball in the right position. Does it feel that way to you? Have you learned or do you feel as though you need to do anything like special or extraordinary here to shoot the scores you need? Does that make sense?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, somewhat. You know, the par-5s, that's kind of where you've got to take advantage of the par-5s. If you're going to shoot good scores around here, that's where you've got to get your good scores in. If you can sprinkle in a birdie or two here or there on some other holes, then that's great.

Obviously, there's some pins on some of the holes that they put that you can make some birdies, but obviously on the same hole they can put a pin in a different spot where you'll take a nice easy par and keep on going.

But, yeah, if I look back at 2020, I just drove it well. I hit a lot of real quality iron shots to the center of the green. Didn't really get overly aggressive. Maybe it was a little aggressive on the par-5s and played those very well, but the rest of it, just tried to play -- I was hitting it well, so I was hitting like aggressively conservative shots, if that makes any sense.

THE MODERATOR: Dustin, thanks again for your time today. It sounds like you're going to have a great time at the Champions Dinner tonight. We also wish you the very best in the tournament this week.