By just about any measurement, Zach Johnson has exceeded expectations for his playing career.
The former Drake University golfer wasn’t even the No. 1 player on his team but, as he put it, he just kept getting better every year. So much so that he would go on to claim 12 PGA Tour titles, including two major championships, the 2007 Masters and 2015 British Open played at the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland. In doing so, he became only the sixth golfer to win majors at St. Andrews and Augusta National joining an exclusive group of players which includes Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
In February 2022, Johnson was named Team USA captain for the Ryder Cup, which begins Sept. 29 in Rome at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club,
Johnson has represented the U.S. side in the Ryder Cup five times as a player, being part of the winning team in 2016, and compiling an 8-7-2 record. Johnson has also served as a vice captain in the last two editions of the biennial contest in 2018 and 2021.
Attempting to win on European soil, something the American side hasn’t done in 30 years, sounds like an enormous task but Johnson just might be the right person for the job. Last week, while competing at the Fortinet Championship in Napa, California, Johnson sat down exclusively with Golfweek for the following Q&A.
Zach Johnson of The United States tees off on the 17th hole during the Ryder Cup 2023 Year to Go Media Event at Marco Simone Golf Club on October 03, 2022, in Rome. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
ZJ: I don’t know. I mean I’m kind of like a gnat, like I just hang around, you know. I played three of my five over there. Over here, it’s more of a birdie fest, over there it’s more get in the fairway, make a few putts if you can. A lot of pars are made and you might win with a par. It lends itself to that kind of thing. That’s why I’m pretty good in both formats too.
GWK: You said a gnat. I was going to ask you, do you like being described as a bulldog?
ZJ: Yes. That’s probably another good description. I love match play and given the golf course, I think I think I can have success. I always feel like mentally I go into a manner in which I feel like the player I’m competing against is going to play really, really good so I have to play well. When we get up around the green, whether it’s a putt or chip or whatever, he’s going to make it.
Joe LaCava, Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson walk off the first…
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