THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 19, 2013

Dustin Johnson

Q. Talk about your round. You got another eagle.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I played really solid. Got off to a rough start. Three-putted No. 1, and made bogey on 4. Just hit it left of the green. Hit a really good putt up the hill to about 10, 12 feet and just barely missed it. And then 5 I hit a great drive right down the middle, and really good 3-wood to about 12 feet right behind the hole. And rolled it in from there.

Q. How tough was the course?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: The course played really difficult. I was saying earlier, it's playing difficult. Every hole is playing hard. You don't get any breaks. You've really got to grind it out. It's tough off the tee. It's tough on your approach shot and it's tough putting.

Q. Everyone is talking about the greens. Can you characterize what it's like to play these greens with these conditions?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean they're fast. They're a lot faster than normal for a British Open. But then with the wind and the slopes on them, it's really difficult to get the speed correct.

Q. Considering you're playing in the afternoon, does that make it a better round in those conditions?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I played really good golf. I hit a lot of great shots. Just struggled on the greens a little bit. So I'm going to work on that for a little while. And then playing in the afternoon, the course dries out and it gets really fast. So it's a really solid round.

Q. So if I told you before the round you're where you are now, you'd be happy with that?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I'm happy with my round. Like I said, I need to work on the putter a little bit. But I'm hitting some good putts, and I have to work on the speed. But it's difficult with the wind blowing like it is, and the green speeds.

Q. The pin positions, you have not mentioned that.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I thought they did a good job with the flags. If you hit it in the right spot, you've got a putt at it. If you get out of position you're going to have a tough two-putt. But I don't think -- I mean, the only one that got maybe a little dicey is 15. But other than that I thought they did a great job with the setup. Even 15, as long as you stayed a little to the right of the hole you were fine. You get left of it, but you're out of position, being left of it.

Q. (Inaudible.)
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Just keep doing what I'm doing. Just trying to get it in the fairway off the tee. And avoid the bunkers and just plot my way around the golf course.