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AT&T PEBBLE BEACH NATIONAL PRO-AMFebruary 9, 2010Dustin JohnsonPEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA DOUG MILNE: We welcome the defending champion of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Dustin Johnson, thanks for joining us for a few minutes. Coming off a great week last week, a T-3 last week at the Northern Trust Open, obviously your game is in pretty good shape as you head into the week. Just a few comments on being back to defend your title. DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I really like this place. You know, it did you feel, the golf courses are great, and I played well here. So I feel real comfortable with the conditions, wet, it's place pretty long. I just played MPCC and it's playing really long. It's a great golf course, though, and I am excited play it for the first time. Q. (Inaudible.) DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, the yardage isn't very long, but I think 16 today was -- I mean, I was the only person in our group that got there in two, and it's a par 4. It's playing very long. Q. (Inaudible.) DUSTIN JOHNSON: Regular golfers, they hit it pretty far, too. Q. Who were they? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Overton, Spencer -- Q. (Inaudible.) DUSTIN JOHNSON: I think his normal caddie. Q. Did last week's soggy weather kind of get you in the mind-set for this week? DUSTIN JOHNSON: You know, I mean, yeah, I guess it helps, playing -- it was cold and wet last week, so that always helps get ready, because you know it's going to be chilly up here. Whether or not the weather cooperates with us or not, you know, you never know. It's supposed to rain all day today and it was off and on, and it was nice at some times. But yeah, it definitely prepares you and helps. Q. Did your win here last year help propel your great play last week in this event at all, or was that any part of your mind-set? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, not really. You know, each week is its own week. You can't really look ahead. You've got to focus on what you're doing that week. You know, the win last year, it definitely helped with confidence for the rest of the year, and you know, knowing that -- knowing you can win out here, always, that's a big part of it, playing. Q. And the weather wasn't great? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, it wasn't the greatest weather. Q. With the U.S. Open -- do you remember watching that? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I do. I just remember Tiger winning by a lot. That's the main thing I remember. Q. When did you first play here? DUSTIN JOHNSON: It was two years ago. Q. Was that the first time? DUSTIN JOHNSON: First time I ever played here. Q. Did you have any preconceived thoughts? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I saw it on TV and video games, played Tiger Woods a bunch. I actually knew the course pretty well from playing it on the video game. Q. Did you hit the par 4s -- DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, video game is a little bit easier. Q. What did you do in that time -- DUSTIN JOHNSON: It consisted of a lot of TV watching and just hanging out at the house. So really didn't do anything. Just sat around mostly in the kitchen watching TV. Q. (Inaudible.) DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, it's a tough question to answer. I was prepared to play. Can I say I was real disappointed when we aren't? No. But you know, I was definitely prepared to play, and you know, wanted to play, but it was unfortunate we couldn't. Q. Where do you stay? DUSTIN JOHNSON: A buddy, we had a friend, me and my caddie, we have a friend that has a house here, so he's nice enough to let us use it for the week. Q. (Inaudible.) DUSTIN JOHNSON: That all depends on the weather. You know, Poppy is a little more sheltered so even with bad weather you can still play pretty decent there, and with five par 5s that helps, too. If the weather is pretty bad, scores are going to be a lot higher at MPCC than they will be at Poppy, so I think it will change. Q. Inaudible? DUSTIN JOHNSON: He is why. Q. (Inaudible.) DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, I don't know. I can swing harder than that but I don't have really think about it. I just try to hit the ball straight. Q. (Inaudible.) DUSTIN JOHNSON: I've got a good partner, he's a good friend of mine. It's actually an event we look forward to. It's fun. If you have a good group of guys, it doesn't really -- we might be out there for a long time but it never feels like you are out there as long as you really are. As long as you are having fun and having a good time, you know, I think -- I mean, I like this tournament a lot. So it's a fun tournament for me to play in, and you know, I get to spend a lot of time with a good buddy of mine. Q. (Inaudible.) DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, yeah, any time you can see a golf course, whether it's firm and fast or soft, you know, it helps seeing the golf course. You get -- the more you play it, the more comfortable you get. It definitely helps. Especially I think they have got the fairways cut, maybe -- I don't know if it's exactly like the Open, but very, very similar to what the Open is going to be. So that's going to help. Q. (Inaudible.) DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's a long way back there. I don't know if they will play it back there every day but they will use it at least twice I would imagine. It's already a good hole. Q. Who is your partner? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Joe Rice, South Carolina. He's out of Charleston. Q. (Inaudible.) DUSTIN JOHNSON: I played last year, so we saw, you know, saw the tee boxes. We didn't use them, but I don't know. I haven't been out there this year yet. Yeah, I don't know how we'll like it. Q. Are you surprised that not more of the top players are here this week? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I don't know, I think the field is definitely stronger this year than it was last year. So you know, obviously there's more people playing. With a smaller field, too, that helps, and hopefully the round times will come down a little bit, which I think they will. So, you know, there's -- guys can't play every week, so there's always going to be guys that are not going to play. You know, I don't -- it's hard to tell when they are going to take off and when they are going to play. You never know. Q. (Inaudible.) DUSTIN JOHNSON: I like this place. I mean, I like everything about this place. I like the town. It's a fun little place to come. I like the golf courses, especially the golf courses are some of the best in the world. It's always fun to play these courses, and you know, the tournament -- the tournament itself is a great tournament. I just enjoy playing it. Q. Can you see that it's not for everybody? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I guess, I don't know. I like it. I can't speak for everyone else. Q. What are your top three courses? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I'd say Pebble, Augusta and Royal County Down. Q. Is that based on course experience? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Just based on courses I've played. Q. (Inaudible. DUSTIN JOHNSON: I hit it pretty long there. I was a little jacked up. I was nervous, too. Q. When you're playing a regular round, how much more do you have in the tank -- DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, I don't know, I never swing as hard as I can, I don't think, unless -- I mean, if I've got a wide-open hole straight downwind I might, but other than that, I just don't -- because you know, I never know where it's going to go. Of course, I have, but usually when I do that, I've been playing well and confident and you know, sometimes especially when I'm real confident, I've got good vibes going, I'll hit one as hard as I can because I know it's going to go straight. DOUG MILNE: Dustin, as always, we appreciate your time. Best of luck this week. End of FastScripts |
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