LIV GOLF INVITATIONAL SERIES: BOSTON

September 3, 2022

Talor Gooch

Dustin Johnson

The International

Press Conference

Q. Dustin, you've been trending toward going really low, and is it nice to finally get to that point?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I've been playing solid I feel like every week. Each round I've felt like I'm doing the right things. Eventually it's all going to come together. Even today was good at times, but still made a few -- quite a few mistakes.

The game is definitely in good form, and I like the direction it's heading in.

Q. Talor, obviously continued good play, able to shrug off that first bogey?

TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, like he said, the game has been in good form, and I was able to throw out one low round last tournament, but it's nice to throw out a couple more this tournament and see if we can both throw out one more tomorrow and get the team win.

Q. You guys are obviously in control again after 36 holes; can you just talk about continued success for Four Aces?

TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, I wouldn't say we're in control. We're one bad day away from not getting another win. We've got to go out and play some more great golf again. There's a bunch of great golfers here, and I didn't see what the final tally was for all the teams, but I know there's a bunch of great golfers, and we can't show up and expect to win, so we've got to play some great golf.

Q. Talor, I don't know if you were lobbying Dustin on joining the team or Dustin, you were recruiting, but can you explain how that went down? And with the wins piling up, do guys lobby and try to make moves to get on the team?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, from my -- what was it, London, so we had the draft and I had to pick. I didn't really like that.

After that week, I said I'm going to find guys to sign to my team, so I did that. I asked Talor and Patrick and Double-P, so we kind of -- I think it was after London is when we kind of got together and said, why don't we make this a good team.

TALOR GOOCH: It was after the draft, he came up to me the practice round the next day, and he goes, hey, are you on a team full-time yet, and I go, no, and he goes, let's do this so we don't have to draft anymore and we can go get some wins because I don't want to lose to the South African team every week. It's worked out good so far. Let's keep it rolling.

Q. Talor was saying yesterday that you feel more motivated now than you have in 10 years. I was wondering why.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's not more motivated, but I still have the same motivation. It's something new. It's different. I'm enjoying myself. We're playing new golf courses. I enjoy going to new golf courses and learning them and trying to figure them out. It keeps me focused on what I'm doing, so I do like that. So obviously we're playing all new golf courses now, so every week for right now when we go to a course, I don't know it.

For me, I enjoy that. Obviously it's something different.

Yeah, I've had a great time, and yeah, the motivation is -- for my team, obviously we want to win, and for myself. The purses, they're no joke. I want to win. Not just for the check, but I want to win -- I like trophies, too.

Q. You said you felt like yesterday you left some meat on the bone. I was wondering what you built on from yesterday.

TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, both days have been really good. I've been able to get off the tee really well, and when I do that, especially out here, you're going to have opportunities, and so you never complain when you're shooting 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-under par, but like he said, there's some more -- like you said, there's some more meat on the bone out there. You don't take good rounds for granted but you also aren't satisfied. You know you can go get some more juice out of the squeeze, so hopefully we can do that tomorrow.

Q. I noticed you guys are both wearing pants today. Was there a consideration to go to shorts, or is there some comfort and routine in wearing pants in competition?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I didn't even know, and Pat texted me last night and said, Are we wearing shorts, and I texted back, No, we're going to wear pants, so I think we all wore pants. It was only because I think if we would have started or known before the tournament started, we probably would have worn shorts, but in the middle of the tournament I don't like switching it up. I'm going to wear pants again tomorrow, too.

TALOR GOOCH: We're a little superstitious, you know.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I'm sure in Bangkok and Jeddah we'll all be in shorts.

Q. What does it mean for you to be a team captain, and what steps do you take to unite the team?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I've got three good players so I don't have to do anything. They just call me "captain." That's about it. That's obviously a good thing. We don't have team meetings or anything, but these guys, they're great players, they know what to do, and if I can help, I'm happy to, but I don't need to help these guys any.