	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 17, 2010

Dustin Johnson

ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND

Q. How was that round?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It was good. You know, it was pretty, fairly easy. I hit a couple poor -- I chunked a few shots, which is unusual. But other than that, I really got around the golf course good. I always left myself with -- when I missed greens, I always had pitching into the wind, which is key today, just because it's so tough out there.

Q. How was that deal with your strategy, because you're so long you like to over-drive all the bunkers? How do you deal with that with the wind situation?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, you've just got to navigate around them. If you can keep it out of the bunkers, you've always got a shot to get it on the green or get it close around the hole and make par. That's the biggest key off the tee is just staying out of the bunkers.

Q. Are you happy with your game?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, you know, I hit a lot of really good shots. I'm driving it really well right now, so that's always good, especially when I'm leaving myself with fairly easy shots into the greens.

Q. You put yourself in contention here again. How about a nice redemption on what happened at Pebble tomorrow if you can pull this thing off? Would that be phenomenal?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I'm in a spot where I have a chance. That's all you can ask for, and that's why I practise and that's why I'm here. I'm in a position where you can make a run tomorrow, and that's what it's all about.

Q. Does it feel good to get back in that spot so quick after last month, to be right back in that position?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I never like felt bad or anything, but yeah, it's good to be -- I played the AT&T, but it's kind of only my second tournament since then. Yeah, it's definitely nice to be back in the hunt.

Q. You're pretty low key but is there a fire burning inside of you that we don't see?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Oh, yeah, I mean, always. I think that's why I'm here is because -- but my emotions I kind of keep inside a little bit. But yeah, definitely got the fire burning.

Q. Were you able to shake off Pebble Beach (Inaudible.)
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, I was pretty much done with it as soon as I got home. But it was just one of those funny days in golf, and we all have them. But I put it behind me, and all you can do is learn from things that happen and move on.

Q. Do you feel like you're still learning this golf course even though you've been here all week? Because of all the intricacies do you think today was proof of that --
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, you learn stuff here every day because there's so many humps and bumps, and the wind is just -- it's a tough golf course when the wind blows. It's really tough. It's really hard to get it close to these flags.

Q. How much fun is it playing this course because of the circumstances of this event?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Oh, it's a lot of fun. You hit a lot of shots that you would never hit in the States. It's definitely a lot of fun. I think on 11 today, I hit a -- it's only like 170 yards, but I hit a 4-iron and rolled it the whole way just because you see balls, especially guys in front of us, and your playing partner hits it and it goes up and turns straight right. So I just rolled it up there the whole way on the green.

Q. There aren't so many Americans up on the leaderboard, mostly European Tour players. Are you surprised by that at all?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I don't know. It's hard to say. You know, it's just -- with all this wind, it's really hard on the putting green to get it in the hole. We can get it around the hole, but it's really hard to make the short putts when it's really windy. The wind has kind of calmed down in the last 45 minutes, but we were out on 9, 10, 11 and 12, the wind was howling. When you've got a right-to-left putt with the wind off the left and you're playing it to break left to right, it's kind of tough.

Q. The 4-iron that you set rolling, was that a spur-of-the-moment thing or a byproduct of maybe looking at yesterday and saying, well --
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, yesterday the wind wasn't blowing quite as hard when I came through there. But in the practise round, I'm playing with Phil, and he hit that shot, and I'm like, that's kind of interesting. Why would you do that? And he goes, sometimes the wind gets blowing really hard sideways, and it's too hard to control the golf ball. Actually I used it today, and it worked out quite well, made par, which on 11 that's all you're looking for.

Q. If you had to put odds on yourself to have an opportunity tomorrow to pull this off, what would you think?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, it all depends -- depends on the weather conditions. You never know what you're going to get out here. Obviously I'm going to be playing with the leaders, or around the leaders, so it's -- really just all depends on the weather. But I feel really good, and I feel comfortable out here. So I'm looking to make a run for it.

Q. It's a little different position when you're chasing guys as opposed to where you were last month. Are you more comfortable in that spot trying to go out there and make a number and go after some things? Is it a little bit easier?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, you've still got to play golf, though. You've still got to focus on yourself. That's all you can control is what you do. I'm going to go out tomorrow with a game plan and try to stick to it and hopefully make some putts early and get after it.

Q. There are some names you expect to see on the leaderboard major after major after major. You played well in the U.S. Open, now you're playing well here. Do you feel like you've gotten to that level now where you can contend in majors?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, honestly I think I should contend every week. I feel like my game is good enough where I can do that, and I'm getting to the point where I'm a lot more consistent, and I'm consistently up there around the leaders. You know, that's what I'm working at.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297