Virginia Golfer November / December 2014 | Page 30

The Virginia Golfer Conversation

Zach Johnson has been one
of the steadiest players on
tour in recent years. RIGHT:
Despite the U.S. team’s
drought in the Ryder Cup,
Johnson notes that the event
holds special significance.

Z

The Worker
Interviewed by SCOTT MICHAUX

T

o most golf observers, Zach
Johnson’s “Hello World”
moment came in 2007 when
he sat at the podium wearing
a green jacket and declared
“I’m Zach Johnson, and I’m
from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I’m a normal guy.”
More than a few pundits thought his
Masters victory was an aberration that would
subsequently fade into history as surely
he would.
“I think Zach Johnson—in 10 years—has
a real chance to be your server at Olive
Garden,” national columnist Rick Reilly
wrote from Augusta in 2007. Reilly’s been
ordering Crow Italiano with his neverending pasta bowl ever since.
Johnson, it turns out, has more staying
power than a Supreme Court justice. His 11
PGA Tour wins is tied with Adam Scott for
10th among active players, and he’s won at
least once in seven of the last eight seasons. He

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ranks 11th on the career money list with more
than $33.6 million in earnings. He’s competed
on seven of the last nine U.S. international
teams (four Ryder Cups, three Presidents
Cups). Johnson consistently ranks among the
tour’s top-10 most accurate drivers and putters.
Since his first victory as a PGA T rookie at
our
the 2004 Bellsouth Classic, Johnson has never
ranked worse than 62nd in the world and he’s
been a fixture in the top-50 since his Masters
win, climbing as high as No. 6 earlier in 2014.
At 38 years old (two months younger than
Tiger Woods), Johnson is far from finished.
As he embarks on his 12th season on the
PGA Tour, Johnson spoke about his career
growth and other topics.
VIRGINIA GOLFER: What is it that has

made you such a consistent presence on
tour for the last decade?
ZACH JOHNSON: I don’t know if I can pick
just one thing. I think it’s a combination
of a number of factors. My swing coach,
Mike Bender, has really established a nice

VIRGINIA GOLFER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

foundation that I can rely on, build from and
certainly trust. That’s key, because when things
get off they don’t get off that far, and it’s easy
to go back to where it was good. I think the
other part is that I’ve always been a guy who
practices and works to get myself in position
to win golf tournaments. That’s probably
what everybody else does, but I really do have
purpose-filled practice to improve aspects of
my game, but I’m ready when I’m in position
on a weekend to really step forward and
execute. That’s the reason I play this game. I
love being in contention. I love having those
feelings and having to hit shots under duress.
And that’s how I practice.

VG: A lot of guys tinker with their swings,

equipment and coaches, but you don’t
make a lot of changes. What is it that
allows you to stick with a formula?
ZJ: I’d be lying if I didn’t say I haven’t been
tempted to change this or tweak that. I don’t
use the same (SeeMore) putter I used in ’07,
but it’s really close. I’ve been using the same

w w w. v s g a . o r g

SAM GREENWOOD/GETTY IMAGES

PGA Tour veteran Zach Johnson’s successes have been
stoked by a thorough, calculated and consistent approach