U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2023

June 15, 2023

Dustin Johnson

The Los Angeles Country Club

Flash Interview

Q. 6-under 64, a great round of golf. What was working well today?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I drove it really well and controlled the distance with the irons really good, other than the last hole was about the only -- didn't really hit a bad shot, just pulled it a little bit and it went a lot further than I thought.

Still was in an okay position to get it up-and-down and hit a nice putt. It was a little rude that that one didn't go in, but obviously I swung it really nicely today and hit a lot of good shots.

Q. What did your prep look like this week and did the course look like it was a good fit for your game?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I like the golf course. Obviously today they didn't have it set up all the way back like I would imagine it will be probably the next three days.

Yeah, the golf course is in perfect condition. I really like it. You just have to drive it well here or you have no chance.

Q. When you see a couple of 62s up there, or are almost finished off when you're getting started, does it change your strategy at all? Are you thinking, I've got to be a little more aggressive?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, not really. Obviously the guys went out this morning and you could tell the greens were a little bit more receptive than they have been. It seems like it was two 8-unders and then the next one was a 3.

The course isn't really that gettable, obviously. If you play well and hit it in the right spots and you can be aggressive, you get a few wedges in your hand, but you've still got to hit a really good golf shot if you want to get it close to the hole.

Today obviously with the setup, it was definitely somewhat gettable if you drove it really well.

Q. Did you have a score in mind at all earlier in the week after playing a couple practice rounds, and did you think 62 was out there?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, I did not see 8-under. In the practice rounds, too, we're playing on the back edge every tee box. I felt like the greens were a hair more receptive than they have been in the practice rounds.

But the course was set up really nicely today, and then obviously the par-3s, I think they had all of them up a little bit today, which made those play quite a bit easier.

Like I said, I would imagine the next few days you're going to see the golf course -- they can set it up as hard as they want to.

Q. What was the club on 9?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I was trying to hit just a soft cut with a 5 and I pulled it a hair. But the reason I hit it is because I thought it took the left bunker out of play. I did not think the bunker on 18 was in play.

I was okay with it going in the fairway back there just over the green, but back where I was I didn't see that was in play.

Q. You indicated the tees were somewhat up today. If they take them back where you think they will normally take them back to, do you think it's going to make that much of a difference?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: It definitely makes the par-3s a lot harder. The flags were in fairly generous spots for the most part, so the course was set up really good. Obviously you can see the scores.

If you drive it well, the guys hitting a lot of fairways, they're playing well. That's just what it is. You've got to hit fairways.

Q. Do you have an advantage on a course like this the way it's set up in regards to your cut?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, because you can hit pretty much any shot you want on all the holes. There's enough room off the tee where it doesn't force you to hit a shot one way or the other.

Q. What would be the ideal setup for you? Like if you were in charge and you were trying to make it the perfect setup for Dustin Johnson, would it be as hard as possible?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, it doesn't really matter. I don't care. However they want to set it up is fine with me. If you're playing well it doesn't really matter the setup.

Q. Is there anything about it being a U.S. Open in your mind that means it has to be set up a certain way?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: No. I mean, I think if you look at the venues over the last seven or eight years or ten years, they're all different. They're all set up different.

I think this course is great. It's a great venue. It's in perfect condition. It feels like a U.S. Open.

Q. What were your expectations going into this week and where are they now?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I had a great practice leading into it. I've been playing pretty solid. Obviously won in Tulsa a few weeks ago.

But the game has been trending in the right direction, and obviously I feel really comfortable over the golf ball right now.

Q. Bryson said earlier today that he feels like there's not as much tension out there among players and among everything. Considering there's a lot of off-the-course golf stuff got resolved in the last week. Did you sense that at all?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, not for me. I felt like I've always had a good relationship with the guys, and through it all obviously now -- sure, I could see that point of view, absolutely.

Q. A lot of guys played well today. What is it about this course that saw so many low numbers, and why do you like this course?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, the greens are perfect. The course is in really good condition. It's a golf course, like I said, if you're hitting the fairways, you can get it close to the flags on some of the holes.

Q. Knowing the scores today and what the course looked like and expecting things to get a little bit tougher as the weekend progresses, do you have a number in mind what you need to shoot to stay in contention?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, I just try to shoot as low as I can every day. What that number is at the end of the week, I have no idea. I wish I could predict that, though. That would be nice.