RBC Heritage
Saturday, April 20, 2019
Dustin Johnson
Quick Quotes
EMILY TRILLO: I'd like to welcome our clubhouse leader, Dustin Johnson, into the interview room at the RBC Heritage.
Dustin, great playing in tough conditions. 3-under, 68. If you could just provide some comments on your round and how the conditions were and overall thoughts?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, the conditions were very difficult today. I thought I played pretty well. I didn't have my best stuff, but I made some really nice putts there through the middle of the round. Kind of kept my round going. The wind direction switched. So I thought the course played tough.
It was very challenging and it was hard to get the ball close to the hole. But it was -- I felt like -- I'm happy with the score, obviously a little frustrated with my bogeys on 16 and 17 just because I felt like I hit a lot better shots. And to come away with bogey was a little frustrating.
But I'm in a good position going into tomorrow but there's a lot of guys right around the lead so I'm going to have to play really well if I want a chance to win tomorrow afternoon.
Q. (No microphone?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, last year I played well, I played it probably close to as well as I'm playing this year, at least I felt like I did. I really struggled on the greens last year.
This year I felt like I'm doing a little better job on the greens and know the course a little bit better, because last year I hadn't played it in so long so I didn't really know the course that well. So this year I feel like I know the course a little bit better and played a little bit better.
Q. You had a long absence from this event. Seeing the kind of crowd support you have here and how well you've played both years back, any regrets on staying away so long? Secondly, is this about as passionate and loud a support you've seen over the course of your career?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, for me it's a great tournament. The RBC is doing a great job with this event. And I've really enjoyed playing here. Last year I really enjoyed it, especially being away for so long not playing this event. But it's something that I look forward to now. I've got a really big fan base here. And growing up in South Carolina definitely helps. So it's something that I really enjoy. And I'm definitely glad to be back here and playing.
Q. It is notoriously difficult for third day leaders to finish and close here at the Heritage. Does that impact your strategy at all heading into the final round?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, I'm going to play the course hopefully the same way that I played it the first three rounds, as far as the way I'm going to attack the course. I think the wind direction is going to be really similar to what it was today, just not blowing quite as hard. But it's a golf course where there are a lot of positions. You're just trying to put it on one side of the fairway or the other. Hopefully if I can drive it well tomorrow I think I'll be okay.
EMILY TRILLO: Lisa from Golf Channel said you made over 160 feet of putts today. Has anything changed in the way you're approaching putts, the way you're reading greens?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, they just went in.
EMILY TRILLO: That one on 14, yeah.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I wish I knew the secret but I don't. And I just keep hitting them. Try to pick a line, trust it and if it goes in, it goes in.
EMILY TRILLO: We appreciate the time. Thank you so much. Good luck tomorrow.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Rev #1 by #178 at 2019-04-20 22:35:00 GMT
