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HP BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIP

May 25, 2011

Dustin Johnson

IRVING, TEXAS

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Dustin Johnson into the interview room here at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Dustin, you're making your 4th consecutive start here. You're getting quite comfortable with this place. T-4, I believe, two years ago, and T-7 last year. Talk about your play here.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's always been a good golf course for me, it sets up well. You know, I just like it. I've liked it since the first time I came here. They put on a great event, it's a good golf course, and I enjoy being in Dallas.
THE MODERATOR: You're 28th in the FedExCup standings. Talk about your season up to this point.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's been a bit up and down, working hard on the game trying to get more consistent and hopefully put up a good showing this week.

Q. When guys like us write or when you hear that Jim Nance says that Dustin Johnson is a "young gun", what does that mean to you?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Obviously there is a lot of great young players right now and we're playing really well. It means a lot to be considered as one of the best young players, just got to keep getting better and keep trying to win golf tournaments.

Q. Do you see yourself as a "young gun"?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. I'm young, and I'm playing pretty well so I guess.

Q. I was wondering how the greens might be rolling after the hail storm, what it was like today?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: The greens were fine. The grounds crew did a great job getting the greens back in shape. From what I heard it was only a few greens that got badly damaged but I didn't notice any severe damage to any of the greens and they were rolling pretty good out there today.

Q. I think a lot of us put you in the "next big thing" category last year, couple of top-10 finishes in the Majors. It's easy to say, hey, you're the next big thing. How hard is it with the competition out there to become the next big thing?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: There are so many good players on our TOUR, so it's tough. It's tough to win; it's tough to win any event out here, especially a major. Everything has to go right that week. You have to hit it well, you have to drive it well, and you have to putt well, so there are a lot of things that have to go right for you to win. It's tough, and there are so many good players out here from young to the veterans, so it's really tough.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the article in "Golf Digest" a couple of months ago. I don't want to ask you about that incident from 10 years ago, but when you look back, are you better for having gone through that?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Anytime you go through things in your life and you overcome them and make that step to be a better person and do better things, I think you become a better person.
You learn from your past. Everyone makes mistakes, so as long as you learn from them and move on, I think it's -- that's all you can do.

Q. Dustin, if you made golf cool or people come out and watch you play this week and they think golf is cool because, look at that guy, he's playing golf, would that be a good thing? Would you like to be known for making golf cool?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I think kids these days are starting to go realize that golf is a cool sport. It's a good sport to play, you've got a lot of -- now you're seeing the guys are more athletic, more athletic guys playing the game and everybody is working out and doing fitness, and you've got guys like Rickie Fowler and people that add a lot to the game so it's good for golf.

Q. Where is the state of your game right now? What do you think you need to do to take the next step?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I think my game is okay; I don't think it's great right now. I've been working, trying to get the wedge game better. I've been struggling with the wedges and a little bit with putting lately. I think my short game is fine, I've been chipping it and bunkers are okay. I've been struggling on the greens and with my wedges, but everything else is in order, I'm driving well, hitting my irons pretty well.
As soon as I can -- I've been working hard on the wedge game, but as soon as I start wedging it really well, then I think everything will turn around.

Q. Gary Woodland was in earlier and he said he likes the course as you do. He said he likes it because he cuts the ball and it fits his eye, like that. Why do you like it?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It's hard to explain why you like golf courses. Either they fit your eye, club selection off the tee, if it sets up well for you, then you know you like the golf course. I like the green complexes, you can work the ball into the hole locations, and the greens are good and I read the greens well, so I putt pretty good out here.

Q. How much do you know about Byron Nelson?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I know some, obviously things you read and I never knew him or anything, but they've got a lot of signs out on the golf course and stuff so he's done a lot of cool things.

Q. Dustin, you know sometimes guys like you or Rickie or Hunter, doesn't look like you're grindin' the whole time, looks like you're having fun. You probably saw the quotes from today where he said sometimes he thinks you're sleep walking. Is that a misconception of how much you really care or do you have a care free attitude about the way you go about the game?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It depends. I try to have fun out there as much as possible. If you look back and you're playing well, you're having a good time, you're enjoying the game and enjoying being on the course and having fun out there. Days that you struggle, it's not as fun. You might try to look like you're having fun but you're not and there might be days where he thinks I'm sleep walking, you know (Laughter.)
But I try to have fun and have a good time out there, because when you do that you tend to play well. Even when you're struggling, as long as you're still having fun and enjoy being out there good things will happen and you'll shoot a good score.

Q. You were in the mix last year in a couple of majors, didn't quite get across the finish line. How important is that to you and is it important that you get there as soon as possible? Do you have anytime table in your mind set for when you would like to?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Doesn't matter. I want to play well. Obviously I want to play well at the Majors, but I want to play well every week. I've got a will the of work to do before the U.S. Open but that's what these weeks are for, to prepare for the U.S. Open, so I'm going to take the next couple of weeks and prepare hard and hopefully get my game in good shape for that. All you can do is put yourself in this situation. The more times I'm in this situation, the better I'm going to do. Obviously I've been there and I know what it calls for, so the next time I'm in the situation I know what to do to get the job done.

Q. Since you mentioned the Open how do you feel about Congressional and how your game would translate there?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I wish I could speak for Congressional, but I've never been there. From what I hear, it's a great golf course and the U.S. Open does a great job of getting the course ready; it's tough but fair. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Q. Dustin, have you done some looking back to see guys that were considered cool in their time, Doug Sanders, Miller Barber, a young Johnny Miller? Have you ever looked back to fashion yourself after them or anything like that?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, I haven't. I don't know, I'm not too into -- especially not trying to be like somebody, I'm myself. I just do what I think I need to do. That's all I can do.
THE MODERATOR: We appreciate your time, play well this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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