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VALERO TEXAS OPEN

May 16, 2009

Dustin Johnson

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

DOUG MILNE: Dustin Johnson, thanks for joining us for a few minutes here at the Valero Texas Open. A lot of circles on your scorecard today. You had to wait it out to finish it up, but nonetheless, a career-best, 8-under par, 62. Just talk about the round and kind of how you feel as you're heading into tomorrow.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, I've been playing well all week. I've been really hitting the ball well, I felt like, other than I hit two bad drives on Thursday. But other than that, I've been striking it really well and hitting it close all week. Just hadn't made any putts.
And you know, I started after I made a 15-footer on 2, and then just kept it rolling, hit it close on -- I didn't miss but one green today, I think, and that was on 15 today.
You know, I putted well. I've been hitting it well and got the putter rolling today.
DOUG MILNE: Where were you when it hit the rain delay?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I was on 15 fairway. I'd already teed off.
DOUG MILNE: Okay. And I guess when you resumed play, that was your lone bogey of the day.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. Just misjudged the wind a little bit. We thought it was in off the left, and it was really kind of in off the right. Hit it just left of the green. Not in a good spot.
DOUG MILNE: You made the comment that the wind had shifted. Now it's probably going to wreak havoc.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. It completely went opposite, because 15 when we teed off, it was down off the right, and then it totally switched almost in off the right to straight in pretty much.

Q. Is that difficult to take that -- it's an obvious question. Do you get your rhythm right back?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's hard to get your rhythm back because we were moving along pretty well. I'm playing with Paul, and we were both playing pretty good, especially on Saturday, too, so we were playing fast. We both had a good rhythm going.
So once the horn blew and you sit around for almost five hours, you don't really have a rhythm anymore.

Q. When you played here the first time, obviously you didn't fare as well as you wanted to. Is your game that much different now do you think from when you originally played here at LaCantera?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I think so. I think I've grown up a lot since then and obviously being out here, this is the start of my second year out here, and I've played enough tournaments now to kind of understand how you have to do things.
And I didn't play well here the first time I was here, but I like the golf course, and obviously I think I've gotten a lot better since then.

Q. Today's round, I mean you were in rhythm. When you get going like that and you're able to shoot obviously a round as low as you did, your career low at the pro level, I guess? Or you've shot a 62?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No. 62 is my low. I've shot 9-under, which is lower, but it was 63.

Q. How do you get that going? You know, when you're playing that well and things just -- is there any -- do you just kind of ride it or are you cognizant you're playing that well?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. You know you're playing well, but you know, the biggest thing is not thinking ahead. Just staying with, I'm swinging well, I'm driving it well, you know, and making some putts, so I just gotta stick to my game plan, think about the shot I'm hitting and not birdieing the next three holes in a row.

Q. You've had good finishes the last couple months. Where is your confidence coming into this tournament?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: You know, my confidence is pretty good. I wouldn't say it's as much as it has been, but over the last three days I've become a lot more confident, getting back. I was swinging really good at PLAYERS last week and just couldn't really get the putts to go in, and then you know, starting out at the beginning of the year I played very well, and so I was very confident in my game then.
I went home for a week after the Masters, which I played fairly well there, and you know, practice wasn't going as well as I wanted it to, so I withdrew from Wachovia. I stayed home and practiced an extra week, and I've got my golf swing where I want it, and I'm very confident for the next few weeks.

Q. You have the advantage of being through your third round. A lot of guys are going to have to be playing in the morning as well to finish up their rounds, but did you notice even the short time you were out there how much different the course may be playing? Not just the wind, but was it softer or?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, it's definitely a lot softer, so it's going to play longer, and then with the wind change, some holes are going to play more difficult than they were, and some holes are going to play a little bit easier than they were, so it kind of evens out with the wind.
You know, it's definitely going to play longer. But the greens are softer, so it'll be a little bit easier to attack flags.

Q. We were talking about like No. 1, 665 yards and you're hitting at the tee from a prevailing south wind. Even on a hole like that with the north wind --
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. Straight down. It definitely makes it easier, but the ball's not rolling as much as it was. That fairway looks firm. You could get -- I think the first day I got probably 80 yards of roll because I hit it -- I only had 200 something -- 215 yards to the front of the green.

Q. Did you just find out what Coastal Carolina did?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No. Not yet. He hadn't texted me back yet I don't think. I'm waiting.
They didn't play well. I just got it.

Q. Do you still have a lot of buddies on that team?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. I'm still good friends with all of them. I practice with them when I'm home. Still hang out with them, so they're still good friends of mine, and it's fun to go back home and have the golf team and stuff there. It's very nice.
I'm still good buddies with all of them.
DOUG MILNE: All right, Dustin, congratulations on a great round. Good luck tomorrow.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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