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AT&T PEBBLE BEACH NATIONAL PRO-AMFebruary 14, 2010Dustin JohnsonPEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA MARK STEVENS: All right. We would like to welcome the 2009 and now the 2010 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am champion, Dustin Johnson. Dustin, congratulations. Nothing like birdieing the last to get that second consecutive victory here. Maybe a few opening thoughts on how you're feeling. DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, feeling really good right now. During the rounds today I never felt like I was making any mistakes, but, you know, just nothing seemed to be going my way. Hitting two good shots on 18, I pushed my second shot a little bit, but it was in the front right bunker, which me and my caddie talked about, and it wasn't gonna be a bad spot to be. Got up-and-down to get the victory. Can't beat that. MARK STEVENS: Okay. Questions. Q. The 14th hole, everything that's going on, what's going through your head at that point? Is it tough to watch all that? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Hopefully my hole is a little easier than theirs. Yeah, that hole, I mean, two years ago I had the same trouble there. For some reason, if you get it over there left of the green or even short right, you know, it's just not a good spot to be. Unfortunately, that's -- you know, you can make a big number. It's a tough par 5. You'll make a lot of birdies on it, but you can make a lot of big numbers on it, too. Q. (No microphone.) DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, well, you know, I hit a really good drive down there. Just went about a yard too far and went into the first cut of rough and was kind of sitting down. I had a great number to hit a 3-wood up there, but it was just sitting down a little bit. I knew if I come up short, especially if it's just short of the bunker or even just barely getting in that bunker, it's not gonna be an easy shot. So, you know, I decided to layup. Q. What did you do two years ago there? DUSTIN JOHNSON: On Sunday, I think I made 7 when I was right there. Q. When Paul made his nine and it changes everything so dramatically, did you find yourself trying to hang on over the last four holes or play the exact same way you had the first 14? DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, you know, I just stuck to my game plan. Still playing, trying to hit it at flags and making birdies. I hadn't made any birdies all day, so -- other than the eagle at 6. I hit a lot of good shots and putts, just nothing was going in the hole for me. You know, after that, I mean, you know, didn't change anything. Obviously gave me a little more confidence going down the home stretch. But, you know, it was still a grind. Q. Talk about that tee shot on 18. DUSTIN JOHNSON: Um, well, you know, it's one of the toughest tee balls on the whole course, I think. I had a good wind today, in off the right, so it's a wind that I like and I'm comfortable with. So it was just -- you know, hit a draw of the trees, because I knew if I just got it in the fairway then I would have a chance to get in on the green. Q. What club? DUSTIN JOHNSON: 3-iron. Q. On Tuesday, we were talking about how you felt about MPCC being in the rotation this year and how you felt about the golf course. How did it end up playing for you under tournament conditions? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, I played it on Tuesday and I played in terrible weather, so it was very difficult. But I played it Friday and the weather was nice. It was still -- you know, it's a tough driving course. If you hit the ball in the fairway though you can attack it and shoot some good numbers. I hit the ball well and had a lot of good chances. Just couldn't roll the ball in the hole. It's a tough course to read the greens on. Big greens and a lot of slope in them. It's very difficult to read the greens. I thought the course played great. Q. What made Pebble so much harder today? Wind? Pins? DUSTIN JOHNSON: You know, I think it was a combination of everything. You know, playing the ball down, you know, I had quite a few mud balls. You can't control those. Sometimes they go straight and sometimes they go off the world. So that made it more difficult. And then also, the pins, you know, the pins were in great spots. They weren't unfair, but they were difficult to get at. You had to hit a really good shot to get it close. And then also the wind had switched. I think the way it was blowing today was probably about the toughest wind on the course. Q. When you saw that combination of conditions, was that good for you? Did you think that helped to make it harder for someone to catch you, or more complicated for you to hold your lead? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I think everybody struggled a little bit today, other than maybe -- I know Duval played well. Congratulations to him. But, um, you know, the course played tough. I mean, this course, it's all weather-dependant. If the wind is blowing hard it's gonna play tough. There's a lot of long golf holes out there and you're coming into very small, undulating greens. So I hit a lot of shots I felt were good that maybe were a yard too far left or a yard too long that ended up not in good positions. Q. You make bogey on 17 there to drop back into a tie. How did you reflect yourself? Were you able to still say, Hey I can make birdie and win this tournament so nothing else matters? DUSTIN JOHNSON: You know, all you can ask for is a chance to win it on the last hole. I was in position. Obviously I wasn't playing the way I wanted to play today, but I was still right there. So, you know, nothing I had done all day mattered until -- the only thing that mattered was that hole. So I just was really focused on hitting a good tee ball there. I knew if I got myself in a good position off the tee then I would have a great chance to make birdie on that hole. Q. Is this win more satisfying than last year? If so, in what ways? DUSTIN JOHNSON: You know, not really. I mean, they both mean the same to me. You know, I don't think -- it's hard to say one win is better than the other. Even though it was shortened last year, it's still a win and I still played great. So I'm not, you know -- this one isn't -- obviously it's great to win back to back years, so that's awesome. I mean, you know it was a long day today. Very long. But birdieing the last hole though just made the day so much better. Q. Does it feel better to walk offer the 18th green at Pebble with a win than tucking into a shuttle at Spyglass? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. Yeah, I mean, you know, it was beautiful out today, so you couldn't ask for better weather. It was sunny and the wind was blowing a little bit. You know, walking down that 18th hole with all the fans out there was just unbelievable, especially with the clear day out. You know, it's one of the most beautiful holes in golf. Q. There was a long wait. Did you try to soak up that atmosphere during that wait? Were you appreciative of where you were, or just consumed with the shot? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, all the time you find yourself staring out at the ocean or looking for the seals or whatever it is out there you're looking at. But, you know, today's round took probably the longest of the week, I think. There was a lot of waiting on every hole. So, yeah, I mean, you're just kind of not thinking too much about golf. You focus on other things and just focus on your shot when it's your turn to hit. Q. By winning here two years in a row, how do you like your chance here at the Open? DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's a totally different golf course then. It's gonna play different. Hopefully it'll be firm and fast. The rough's gonna be three times as long as it is right now knowing the USGA. So it's gonna play very difficult, I think, especially, you know, a thick rougher and firm and fast greens. You're gonna have to be very careful about where you hit your approach shots. Q. How is the Sunday round battling with the lead different from the first three days of any tournaments, and obviously this one, too? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, I didn't feel any different out there today. Just, you know, kind of -- I was hitting good shots, hitting 'em solid, and hitting good putts. Some days they go in; some days they don't. Obviously Sunday there's a little more nerves going on and a little more, you know, a little more excitement. So, you know, that always plays into account a little bit. I was comfortable out there all day. Nervous, but nervous in a good way. Q. Compare this round to the first round at Pebble. DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, there's not really any comparison. You know, I made a lot of putts that day. You know, if you can make putts out here you're gonna play pretty well. I made a lot of good shots and made a lot of putts, and that's about the only difference. I hit some good shots today, but just didn't make the putts. Q. That sand shot from the outside looked like a difficult one because you didn't have a lot of green to work with. How did you look at it? You got underneath it perfectly. Did you think it would be easier or harder than it turned out to be? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, walking up, you know, I knew it was in the bunker, so approaching up to the green, I knew as long as it got up in in the bunker it wasn't gonna be bad because it will be a little upslope. When we come out and play practice rounds we always practice that shot, because you know where the flag is gonna be on Sunday usually. With the greens being a little bit soft, it wasn't -- that definitely helped out. And also being on that upslope. So that was a little bit of help. But I hit a great bunker shot, too. Q. I was gonna ask you, you made a point of wishing the crowd a happy Valentine's Day. With the U.S. Open being played on Father's Day, was that in your mind at all during the round? Did you think what you might say if you did win, or did that just come to you? DUSTIN JOHNSON: No. Well, you're trying not to think about winning, especially not when you're teeing off on the first or, you know, even coming up 9. So I didn't really think about it today. Obviously, you know, it being Valentine's Day, Amanda, my girlfriend, she had to leave early. She got a ride back on a G5, so think she'll be okay. That was unfortunate. I wish she could have been here. But happy Valentine's Day to you. (Laughter.) Q. (No microphone.) DUSTIN JOHNSON: She's at home with one of my friends. Q. Did Goydos say anything coming off 14? DUSTIN JOHNSON: There was no conversation. I don't think he wanted to talk to anybody. Q. Secondly, if you look at what you're capable of, how much better and how far do you think you can get? DUSTIN JOHNSON: As long as I keep playing the way I'm playing, I don't think there's anything that I can't do. It's all up to me. You know, I've got to keep working hard and keep practicing hard, and, you know, good things will come. Q. Obviously people know you as one of the longer hitters on tour. Do you other parts of your game get enough respect like your bunker play? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Um, I mean, you know, if you look at me, J.B., and Bubba, all anybody ever says is how long we hit it. You know, I do hit it a long way, but I don't really care about that. I care about getting the ball in the hole the fastest. So it's not a bad thing to talk about how far we hit it. It's fine with me. I don't really care though. I want it on the fairway and on the green. Yeah, I mean, most of the time that's all they talk about. I don't care. Q. What do you need to do to sort of take the next step to contend and win in a major? Is it that kid of step you're talking about, the putting and the other elements of your game? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, you can always improve your short game, you know, putting, chipping, wedges. So I definitely need to work on that. I will work on that. You know, also getting the ball in the fairway. I feel like right now I'm driving it very good. I'm not disappointed in that at all. All you can do out here, the ball does what it wants to out here, not necessarily what you want it to. All you can do is hit solid putts. I felt like I didn't hit any terrible or bad putts. I felt like I hit them all where I was looking. Just some of them didn't go in. MARK STEVENS: Run through your card. Just your nonpar holes would be fine. DUSTIN JOHNSON: I started on 1. Had a good number into 1. Just hit -- I thought I hit a good shot just to kind of -- supposed to turn and didn't really turn. Landed on the edge of the green and kicked in the bunker. Hit a pretty good bunker shot and a good putt, just burned the low side of the hole. So I made bogey on 1. Going to 6, I hit a great tee ball down there. I had 211 hole, and I hit 6-iron about three feet and made eagle. Then No. 9, hit a decent tee ball. Just pushed it a little bit. I was in the right rough and the ball was muddy, too. You know, so the wind is off to the left and down, and you got obviously ocean to the right. So I was looking at the flag and trying to just cut it off the flag to the front right of the green. The ball came out and then went a little left just short of the bunker. Hit a decent chip about ten feet behind the hole and ended up three-putt from there. Hit a good first putt. Thought I made the first one. Just missed. The second one coming back up the hill probably two feet. Tried to hit it straight in. Hit it straight in and hit something and went left and missed. But it didn't bother me at all. Just stuff happens. You got to -- can't let it bother you. Then 12, hit a great shot, I thought. Just flew about a yard too far. Only about six feet right of the flag. Went just over the back. Good pitch just about five feet past the hole which is where I wanted to leave it and have an uphill putt. Going by the hole the ball went right. Looking at the putt, I never thought it would -- never thought it was gonna go left, but I didn't think it was gonna go right either, so I played it straight and it moved a little right and lipped out. 17, I just got in a bad spot and pulled it a little bit. I know you can't hit it past that flag, and my ball got past the flag and on the downslope of the bunker, which is pretty much an impossible shot. And then 18, you know, I played the hole well. Hit a great tee ball, which I hit it exactly where I was looking: off the left pine tree and drew it and I had 233 I think hole, 235 hole. I was trying to hit a 3-iron, just high draw, going right at the flag, and caught it a little thin and missed it short right in the bunker. Hit a great bunker shot and a good putt. MARK STEVENS: All right, Dustin, congratulations. Thanks for your time. End of FastScripts |
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