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THE RYDER CUP

September 28, 2010

Dustin Johnson

NEWPORT, WALES

GORDON SIMPSON: We are joined by Dustin Johnson, one of the Team USA rookies. Dustin, your first time in The Ryder Cup, what's your initial impressions of being around the guys and here at Celtic Manor?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's been great. The team's been great. We have had a lot of fun so far. We had a nice night last night hanging out in the team room, and then today, you know, getting out on the course, the course is fantastic. We had a fun round of golf. It's been really nice so far.
GORDON SIMPSON: The Europeans were all playing matches, some of it for a few bucks, what about you guys?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: We had a little match. Me and Phil played Bubba and Rickie and we ended up tying, but that's fine.
GORDON SIMPSON: What's your impression of the golf course, seeing it for the first time.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: The golf course is good. There's a premium of hitting it on the fairway and you have to be pretty conservative off the tee, I think, and you can be aggressive from there because the greens are pretty soft.
Off the tee, it plays long. Hit a lot of mid-irons to long irons.

Q. Just wondered, who are the up guys on the team? Who are the guys that put the energy into the team room?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Everybody. We all get along very well. It's a good team so far. Everybody's in good spirits. Everybody is getting along and everybody is hanging out. So you know, we got a lot of energy in the room. It's coming from everybody.

Q. Does the course and the setup allow you to use length to your advantage?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Not particularly. But the golf course, I just saw it today. I went out and walked it last night, chipped and putted, just got a feel. We walked make 11 holes, 1 through 7, and then we walked 15, 16, 17, 18. The golf course sets up good for me. I like the golf course. It fits my eye pretty good.
But, you know, there's a few holes that length is an advantage. A couple of the par 5s, if I hit a good drive, I can get home; where the rest of the guys are not going to be able to get there.

Q. On issue of length, in the team environment, for those who have seen you largely at the majors this year, you seem to be quite an aggressive player; will you adjust when you get to foursomes? And can you reflect on what happened at the PGA, which was a remarkable thing to watch from this side of the Atlantic, and how you feel about your game and your state of mind after that?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I think that was like ten questions. (Laughter).
I'm going to play my game. I don't change my game for anything. You know, there's going to be -- you know, we have talked about it, especially with some of the guys. You've got to be conservative off the tee and then be aggressive into the greens. They are holding, they are pretty soft. There's a lot of slopes and stuff around the edges, so if you miss the green, you're going to have tough chips, but you can still get up-and-down.
So I'm going to play aggressive. I think we have to play aggressive. But after the PGA, it didn't really affect me very much. I played very good golf. Other than the last hole, it was an unfortunate situation, but as far as the first 17 holes, I did what I was supposed to. I was very patient. I played good golf. I gave myself a lot of looks and made the birdies when I needed to on 16 and 17. I was very happy with my play.

Q. Does this course remind you of anything you've played in the U.S.? Is there another course back home you can kind of compare this to?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Not really. I think it's not really -- you know, I think every course is kind of its own course. But this course is different. But you know, it's a good golf course. I think it plays long. You know, I'm not hitting a ton of drivers, but you're still -- everyone is hitting it kind of to the same areas off the tee. You know you're having fairly long mid- to long-irons in on every hole, and then the par 3s are long, too.

Q. In any sport, it's always very difficult for the away team, if they start going behind, and the crowd gets the home team against, obviously, the visitors. Have you talked about that at all, if you're chasing the game and the crowd are all hooting and hollering for Europe and you're up against it, what you're going to do about that?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Play better. (Laughter).
There's nothing you can do except play better golf. We expect the fans to -- there's obviously going to be more European fans here. You're on your home turf. But we expect that. We know that. And we know that going into it.
But if we get behind, we are just going to have to play better to catch up.

Q. You've mentioned not hitting a lot of drivers. I'm wondering if you can give a rough estimate? Were you surprised when you got here, because the opposing captain could set this thing up any way he wanted and there was some discussion he might cramp your style and apparently has not done that. Are you surprised that that was not an option he availed himself of given the bombers you guys brought on?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, this course, it's not like it's going to play firm and fast. It's not really an advantage to tighten it up at those distances. This golf course, too, doesn't really -- there's bunkers that are well placed and you kind of navigate around the bunkers. The rough is very deep. If you miss the fairways, unless you've got a really good lie, you're not going to be able to knock it on the green. You have to be able to drive it straight. There's enough room out there to drive it --

Q. Maybe a half dozen drivers, par 5s?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I hit it -- like on 2 and 9, the par 5s, but I'm not sure if I hit any other drivers on the front.
Obviously depending on wind, but the way the wind was blowing today, I hit a lot of 3-woods, a lot of 3-woods out there.

Q. The captain said that he didn't send you out in specific pairs, so presumably you chose to play with Phil; is that correct, and if so why is that a natural fit for you?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Me and Phil play a lot of practise round together already. We like playing with each other. We get along very well. We are good buddies. So the captain just paired us in groups. I don't know why he did it the way he did, but he just put us in groups.

Q. Of all of the European players, which two do you think would be combined to be the toughest pairing that you could face?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I have no idea. I don't know. I mean, I think all the matches are going to be tough. But I couldn't tell you who the toughest two we are going to be able to face.
GORDON SIMPSON: Thank you.

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