MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 12, 2025

Zach Johnson

Quick Quotes

Q. Did you step into a time machine today or what?

ZACH JOHNSON: What happened? I just blacked out.

Q. You played great.

ZACH JOHNSON: No, I appreciate it. I appreciate that. I don't want to say I've seen it coming because that's not what I'm trying to -- I've seen the work and the results of hitting the face and seeing the line on putts. Not this week, but weeks prior I've seen it.

It just hasn't showed. My hope is that it continues to show, one, but two, I've always modeled my game after guys before me and guys that are consistent. I don't know if today is a flash, but today was, for lack of a better term, a stroll in the park. I didn't feel like it was work.

Obviously being paired with Jon was awesome because his scorecard was not indicative of how he actually played in my opinion. That guy is really close. Unfortunately he's still really, really impressive and a tremendous guy.

I love the pairing. I loved making the weekend. I guess it's been a couple years. I think I made it two years ago, so it's not like it's that foreign.

But man, I was in control.

This game, man, right now there's a lot of analytics, there's a lot of data, there's a lot of things you can chew on and spew out, but when it comes down to it, it's still a sport.

You've still got to be an athlete. When you're on these grounds right here, it helps to know it. It's also, like, when you're playing on some place that you love and you're familiar with, when this membership, these green jackets want you here, you want to play good.

It's just icing on the cake if you do.

It's just one day.

Q. When was the last time you've had the feeling like today on the golf course?

ZACH JOHNSON: I mean, it's been -- I've had it a few days this year. If I go back to it, you'd have to go back to my results. I haven't played a ton. It's not like I'm playing that much. I'm 49, so I'm not playing quite as much as I used to.

But I had some days out on the West Coast, Sony, where I was right there three two or three days. I played well at Torrey. I don't play way well at Torrey. So opportunities is what I'm saying.

I don't hit the ball far enough to compete on some of these venues, but it doesn't mean I can't have a decent finish. It doesn't mean I can't make cuts. It doesn't mean I can't still do it.

I don't know. Today was an extreme, obviously, example of the fruits of my labor showing up.

Q. What can you say about the course setup today and how you took advantage?

ZACH JOHNSON: I mean, I think the beauty of what they've done the last three days, if you will, has been some pins where you're like, okay, I can get after this.

There's some pins where you're like, if I get out of shape here, I'm in trouble.

And then there's some where it's like, hold on, I just want to get out of here and put a par down.

I think they've done a tremendous job. I think they always do, if I'm going to be blunt. They know where the wind is going to come from. They know what the forecast is going to show. They know the saturation level and whatnot of the greens.

They know everything.

What they've done in the fairways, given Mother Nature this week, there's been some rain, obviously, they're rolling. They're sand capped beautifully.

What they've done is they've created a golf course that if you hit it in the middle of the face and you see your lines, you can score. And if you're off, it will show.

Q. You told us on Saturday there's nothing like competing on the weekend at Augusta, and here you are. Can you speak to the inspiration that the Langers, Couples, Crenshaws -- guys that just want to play here?

ZACH JOHNSON: 100 percent, those are my guys. Those are the ones that you look to. Frankly even ones before them.

Yeah, this place can bring out the absolute best in someone, and it starts either taking a left or right down that lane. When you're engulfed by the magnolias, something just hits you.

Honestly, I get the question, what's your favorite thing about Augusta National. Obviously winning and playing in the Masters is an absolute treat.

Taking somebody down Magnolia Lane for the first time is probably my favorite thing. I've seen people cry. Most people are smiling and they're turning on music and things of that nature. It's nostalgic, yet for whatever reason you've still got to be where your feet are, and I don't want to say I'm proud, but I'm very happy with the fact I'm staying present because you can get caught up in all that. It's really, really easy.

The beauty, again, of this place is somehow it gets better by the year. I don't know how they do it. Given the devastation of this past fall, I live three hours south of here. This place was wrecked. Clearly they know what they're doing out here. But they helped out of here and still are.

That's what this place is about. It's about the people and certainly the championship is amazing.

Q. Getting back to when you won, how does today compare to one of those days?

ZACH JOHNSON: A lot of comparisons, 18 holes, 18 tee boxes. That's about it. I don't think we saw -- I know we didn't see -- I'd have to go back. I don't think we saw 60 degrees the entire week. You know, the course was a little shorter.

Sunday was a nice day. Saturday was -- will probably go down as a top 5, top 10 hardest day of golf I've ever played. I shot 76 on Saturday. I shot 4-over, and I think I moved up one spot. 69 on Sunday.

My point in saying that is that was an anomaly of a year. They've had it before. I'm not suggesting we couldn't have it again. You can. It's April. But they're going to be few and far between.

Q. I imagine there's some lure of wanting to chase distance a little bit, but when you're hitting over 90 percent of your fairways, how much does that help, and do you have to keep telling yourself, hey, just put it in the fairway and don't worry about distance?

ZACH JOHNSON: It's the latter. If I chase distance, I'm not so sure my body could do it. I'm going to be blunt. I give my golf game a lot of time and its due diligence, whether it's the range, the chipping green, the putting green. There's a lot of work there. It's not as much as it used to be because I can't. But my recovery mode is probably just as time-consuming and significant in nature that I don't have a choice.

I mean, knock on wood, I've been very lucky. I have not had any significant injuries, I would call it. I've got nicks and knacks and my body doesn't feel great every morning, but I've got a routine and I get right.

Q. Can you run through the par on 5 and how important that was to keeping your round going?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, the scorecard showed it, right? I hit an awesome drive. We mis-clubbed on the second shot. That was probably the best drive I hit. I'm going to be honest. We had 209, 210 hole for me on that hole with the tee back and whatnot was really good.

I hit my 5-iron -- if I hit it in the middle of the face probably 205. That's middle of the face. I tried to jump on it. Now, that slight uphill lie, slightly dewy, I just didn't hit it solid. I should have hit a 4 and just got it behind the hole.

The first putt was what you expect to that pin. I don't want to say it's impossible; it's just brutal. I had it going left early, then right, then left late. You don't start it on the proper line with the proper speed, you're going to have what I had, which was another 25, 30 footer, and it was an absolute gift. I was trying to two-putt -- I was trying to three-putt.

Q. What was it like to hit that in two after laying up on all the par-5s --

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, well, that laying up thing on the par-5s has kind of taken on a life of its own. I don't know if that's entirely accurate. It's just giving what the course gives me. Back in '07 when that happened, the course was playing so long. I hit 4-iron on 2 on Friday in '07 and it rolled up the front and rolled off. It wasn't like I was trying to not go. It was just giving what I had. I didn't hit great drives on par-5s. That's part of it.

Q. What did you hit today into 2?

ZACH JOHNSON: On 2, I wanted to hit 4 hybrid, which is like my 215 to 220 club and just hit it at the bunker and if it got on towards the front, it's fine. But he's like, we're not feeling the help, we're not feeling the help. That was my caddie's eagle there, Smitty. He's like, it's a 3. If it goes long, it's fine. If it goes in the bunker, it's fine. We know where you can't go, which is left. Just keep it right. It came off the face perfect. That was a gift.