Zach Johnson

Zach Johnson poses for a portrait during the pro-am prior to the start of PGA Grand Slam at the Mid Ocean Club on October 15, 2007 in Tucker's Town, Bermuda

Zachary Harris Johnson was a member of Team USA at the Ryder Cup Matches in 2006, finishing ninth on the US points list. He currently falls within the top 20 on the list for the 2008 Ryder Cup Matches.

Zach Johnson played golf on his school team in Iowa, as well as on the Drake University golf team. After graduating, Johnson started his professional career in 1998, winning a Prairie Golf Tour event. He went on to win two Prairie Golf Tour events in 1999, all three regular NGA Hooters Tour events in 2001 and a further NGA Hooters Tour event in 2002. In 2003, he earned two Nationwide Tour events, taking the Rheem Classic and the Envirocare Utah Classic.

By 2003, Zach Johnson was top of the Nationwide Tour money list, with record prize money earnings of $494,882. In 2004, he earned his first PGA Tour victory, winning the BellSouth Classic.

In 2006, Johnson won a Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge with Stewart Cink and Scott Verplank, both also candidates for the 2008 US team at the Ryder Cup Matches.

Zach Johnson went on to achieve a major championship win in 2007, when he beat Tiger Woods to secure the Masters Tournament. In the Masters, he clocked up a score of 289 - the highest ever for the tournament, also achieved in 1954 by Sam Snead and in 1956 by Jack Burke. Johnson's win shot him to number 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking list.

Johnson is appreciated for his humility. His comment at the 2007 Masters was, "I'm Zach Johnson and I'm from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. That's about it. I'm a normal guy."

Zach Johnson PGA Tour Wins (3, including 1 major championship)

  • 2004: BellSouth Classic, by one stroke (runner-up: Mark Hensby)
  • 2007: The Masters, by two strokes (runners-up: Tiger Woods, Rory Sabbatini, and Retief Goosen)
  • 2007: AT&T Classic, through a birdie on the first extra hole in a play-off with Ryuji Imada