JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 3, 2026

Zach Johnson

TPC Deere Run

Quick Quotes

Q. Well, the good news is you assured yourself a late tee time on the weekend.

ZACH JOHNSON: We're assuming. Yeah, there's a lot of guys that haven't even teed off. Yeah, I mean, I think I'll have a decent sleep-in. I'm hoping we go in twosomes. That would be ideals. If we go in threes, still going to be probably a little later than earlier.

But, yeah, I mean, I'm playing the weekend. I'm very accustom to do playing the weekend at John Deere, fortunately. Got another opportunity, and that's my focus.

Q. Beyond the score, how would you compare today's round to yesterday? What was working?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah. I don't know, I thought overall there wasn't a whole lot of difference as far as ball striking, middle of the face, that kind of thing. Maybe a couple of poor decisions. Hit a couple of putts that I am still shocked by, especially on the last hole.

Yeah, I don't know. I did play better yesterday. I scored better yesterday, certainly, but I played a little bit better yesterday. There was a couple of scrambles today that were trying and a wind switch that I don't think it wreaked havoc, but it was something to consider.

Wind almost did a 180 in about a 5- to 10-minute stretch there on 3, 4, 5. 4 in particular. That was hard. I was getting up there, and I was, like, it's going to be a cut 6-iron. By the time it was my turn to hit, I'm, like, oh, my gosh, this might be a 9-iron. So that was hard just to gauge.

A couple of tough pin placements, as well. So I think, all in all, there wasn't a whole lot of difference. Just the score card showed different.

Q. Zach, I don't want to say turn back time, but you are walking down through most of the round, your name is at the top of the leaderboard. We're thinking back to 2012, '13, '14. For you to come back here and see your name at the top of the leaderboard today, how did that feel?

ZACH JOHNSON: Well, I didn't look, so I didn't see it. I kind of anticipated it. At the same time, yeah, I didn't know if I was second, third, fourth, first. I just kind of staying right where I was trying to make putts and hit fairways.

But, yeah, again, I feel like I'm playing good enough that I can be up there. I feel like I'm playing good enough that I don't want to say I should be up there, because the moment you think you got this game, it will grab you and spit you out.

But, yeah, you know, I was talking to a couple of guys immediately after my round. There maybe something to be said about confidence and momentum, you know, bleeding in from other tournaments, regardless of what tour that's on. I mean, I still think there's guys on the Champions Tour that can win out here. I don't think that's a far-fetched sentiment. It's harder for us (laughing), but I think the potential is there.

I don't know what's going to happen. I'm not in contention yet. The way I look at it, I still have 36 holes to go.

Q. When you say that you think there are guys on the Champions Tour that can win out here, are you trying to prove something, but...

ZACH JOHNSON: No, I'm not trying to prove anything. If there's anything that I need proof of it's for me personally. It's not for anybody, no.

I know what I'm capable of. I certainly know what I'm not capable of. This is just a great opportunity, again, to go kind of walk the grounds that I've adored and loved for so many years. When I'm playing my best, which is kind of like yesterday, the golf ball just kind of got in the way. I love that.

Q. I swear, Zach, for going back before even Jordan arrived, we were asking you the question, how good are these young guys coming out? They just kept coming, and we kept asking. Now here you are. I asked you yesterday if that was gratifying, but you talked about this is for you. How does it feel to know that at 50 you can still hang with these kids?

ZACH JOHNSON: You all know me well enough to know, I'm not surprised, but yet, there is some gratification.

I'm so fresh on the last hole. Like, making a bogey on that last hole just chaps me more than anything, so that's where my mind goes immediately and stays. And I hit a good putt.

Yeah, you know, I feel -- I don't know, there are certain tournaments that I feel like I can still do it. There are some that I'm going to need my A-plus game to even remotely have a chance going into the weekend, let alone on Sunday -- does that make sense -- given the state of the game, given the golf courses and the nature of what's going on with these young guys.

That's fine. That's why I have the opportunity to play on the other tour, but there are certain courses that -- I mean, technically I'm not even sure if I need to play a practice round. I know the nuances. I know the subtleties, and I know where you cannot go, and that is a big part of the way I navigate courses.

I play the hole backwards every hole and then that's how I plot my way. When I'm doing that effectively and I'm hitting the middle of the face, it just comes down to making putts.

I shot 1-under today. I felt like I left a lot out there, the way I feel, but at the same time, I may have grabbed a few yesterday that I probably shouldn't have, so maybe it does even out.

Yeah, I don't know. I got a chance. That's all I can ask for. I'm not going to sit here and say I'm surprised. I'm not going to rest in the fact that I made the cut. I'm here as a competitor to try to demolish this golf course.

Q. Can you venture a guess as to how many players in this field --

ZACH JOHNSON: How many what now?

Q. How many players in this field actually know about your Hall of Fame caliber résumé, even know who you are?

ZACH JOHNSON: I don't know. Oh, gosh, geez, I don't like speaking in hypotheticals. I have no idea. You would have to ask them.

I would venture to say there are some guys here that probably don't know who I am, and that's fine because I don't know who they are, and that's not demeaning. That's just probably factual, especially some of the foreign kids here.

Everyone I've met has been terrific. I say that, I go back to January when I played two weeks with a new crop, and I was a young 49 then, right? Yeah, I mean, I love the evolution of the game. I love these kids. They're motivated. They're hungry. They take every aspect of the game very serious, and it's impressive.

They're ready. The transition from amateur golf to pro golf is probably not what it once was just given the amount of resources and amenities within those aspects. It's impressive how quickly they adjust.