PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 17, 2023

Dustin Johnson

Oak Hill Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Dustin Johnson is joining us now at the 105th PGA Championship, and he will be playing in his 14th PGA Championship this week. Dustin, you're certainly playing well coming into the second major of the year. How do you feel about your game.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I think the game is in good form. I had obviously a good week last week, but it's much better. Obviously my last couple events it's kind of been trending in the right direction. Did everything really nicely last week.

Had a couple good practice days here. Really looking forward to the test that this golf course is going to provide this week.

You want every part of your game working well playing this golf course and the conditions that it's in right now.

Q. What took you so long to play good?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, I was ready at the start of the season. Going in, I was going out to play Saudi International, and I tweaked my back right before that.

So I didn't hit balls for a few weeks, until right before I went and played Mexico. It's just taken my a while to get back, get the patterns right and just get my body moving right. Developed some bad habits, and it's just golf; things happen.

Swinging it well, feeling good, got confidence. That's always helpful coming into a major.

Q. What did you do to your back?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Just pulled a muscle in my lower back.

Q. Swinging a club or lifting up a kid?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, lifting up a kid, just a bigger kid (laughter).

Q. Jason Day won last weekend. Can you recall when he was on top of his game and what that looked like, and could you reflect back?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I've played a lot of golf with Jason, starting with amateur and then obviously when he was on Tour. Yeah, obviously it was five or six years ago when he was really on top of his game. Yeah, he was one of the best players in the world.

It's good to see him back in good form and playing some good golf.

Q. Would it surprise you to say that he thought his career might be over two years ago and just what that means?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, I have no idea what he was thinking, but obviously he might have or whatever he's told you. Would it surprise me? Not really.

Q. We had Zach in here right before you and talking about, obviously, the LIV guys and their potential for being on the Ryder Cup team. First question is, do you have an interest in being on the Ryder Cup team? The second question is, what do you think the likelihood is that you'll get picked?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, I have no idea if I'd get picked. Obviously if I continue to play really well for the rest of the year, then obviously there's a chance.

Yes, I would definitely like to play in the Ryder Cup. It's one of my favorite events to play in, especially after the last Ryder Cup. Obviously had a pretty good week. And, yeah, it's just an awesome event; and yeah, I'd love to be a part of it.

Q. Since you're obviously not out here, do you feel like you might have to do something different in regards to talking to him more, lobbying yourself, because he doesn't really know much about what you guys do out there?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, I've known Zach for a long time, so I'm sure he's keeping an eye on things. You just never know. Obviously play well in the majors, the next three majors, and just play some good, solid, consistent golf from here on out the rest of the year, who knows what will happen.

Q. Going into Augusta there was a lot of talk, and Brooks especially vocal about showing everybody that you guys are still the amazing golfers you are and continue to be. With the performance of the LIV League group at Augusta, has that burden kind of been shelved, or do you still feel additional pressure to represent?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, I think I've proven myself out here for a long enough time where I don't -- to me there is no -- to me I don't need to keep proving myself. I already have for many years. Same with all the other guys. It's just where we play at. It doesn't change the style of golfer we are.

Q. You said all parts of your game need to be on to do well this week. What do you see as the biggest ask of this golf course? What's the biggest thing it asks of you?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, first, you've got to drive it in the fairway. But you're not done after that because depending on the hole, you can get some shorter irons in your hands on some of the holes, but the par-3s are super difficult, long, not very easy to hit the greens, especially with the wind direction that was blowing the last couple days.

I think depending on which way the wind blows, it obviously changes how tough they play. But even the shorter ones, with the wind direction that was blowing the last two days, were difficult shots.

3 is a tough one; 11 is tough. They're all tough. You've just got to hit quality golf shots.

Q. What's the biggest challenge of 3, just the size of that green?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Hitting the green.

Q. What are you hitting in there?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yesterday I hit the 7-wood. I pitched it on the green, and it didn't stay on the green, but it landed on it.

Q. Did you hit out of the rough at all yesterday?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, it just depends on the hole. I think they've done a really good job with, like, the longer holes. If you get a halfway decent lie, you can kind of chase it up around the green. The shorter holes, the rough is a little thicker, maybe a little bit deeper.

But you can still hack something out. You're not hitting it very far, but you can get it up around the front. Most of the holes out here you can run it up on the green.

But still, controlling it coming out of the rough is the hard part.

Q. I really hate asking you questions that require you to use your memory, but do you remember anything about '13 when you played here?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, I remember the golf course. Obviously they changed 3, 5 and 6, so I don't remember those holes, but the rest of the golf course I remember.

It was obviously completely different conditions when we played. In '13 it was a lot softer, fairways were easier to hit, greens were easier to hold. Played a lot different.

I still remember the rough was still deep, so you still needed to drive it in the fairway if you wanted to shoot some good scores.

Q. Are you the kind of guy that when you drive into the club and kind of see sections of the course, it all just kind of lays out in front of you?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, before I got here, I couldn't have told you what one hole looked like. But then once I get out on the golf course, I remember them when I get out on the holes.

Q. A win is a win no matter where it comes from. Do you take the same amount of confidence out of a win last week as you would have any other place?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, absolutely. Still playing against unbelievably good golfers. To be honest, the scores the last few tournaments we played were a lot lower than I thought they would be. You've got to play well every single day if you want a chance to win.

Like I said, the game last week, a lot of really good things. Played really solid all three days, and doing everything well. I'm driving it well, controlling the distance with the irons, starting to wedge it a lot better, and then rolled in a few putts.

It's difficult nice coming off a win, coming into this championship, and especially this golf course.

Q. Rory said it's going to take discipline to win out here. What's your approach? And given your game, where do you see any specific holes where there would be risk and reward?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, not real sure because most of the holes are pretty much right in front of you. There's not really anything that you can -- I guess there's a few holes where you might could take a driver and try to get it down there a little bit further.

But a lot of the holes kind of force you to hit it to a certain spot and then kind of go from there. The longer holes, just got to make sure you hit the fairway on those, and obviously the short ones, too.

Obviously I played the back nine Monday and played the front nine yesterday. There's not a whole lot of -- you can't really reach, what is it, 13? I don't think anybody is going to be knocking it on there unless it gets downwind and you hit one just short of the creek, which would be tough to do, you might have a go. Then depending on the wind direction, a lot of guys can reach 4.

But other than that, there's not really a whole lot of places where you can try to cut corners or push it up close to the green.

Q. We're one year into the LIV era. What do you think the professional game is going to look like a few years from now?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I don't know. I can't predict the future. I'm not real sure.

Q. Do you see any way back to sort of reunify things, or are you both going to --

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I would hope at some point we can all coexist and work together. That would be nice.

Q. I'm just curious. How has the travel and the difference in time zones affected you in terms of playing on LIV?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, to be honest with you, it really hasn't. A little more travel, but I've played kind of all over the world my whole career. I'm used to traveling. Whether a flight is five hours or eight hours, doesn't really make a difference.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks for your time.