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BELLSOUTH CLASSIC

April 4, 2004

Zach Johnson

DULUTH, GEORGIA

TODD BUDNICK: Zach Johnson, 2004 BellSouth Classic Champion, and first time winner on the PGA TOUR. How was it out there for you today?

ZACH JOHNSON: It was a roller coaster, but made I lot of shots and felt really proud.

TODD BUDNICK: You birdied the first hole, Padraig bogeyed the first hole and all of a sudden there's a huge gap, pretty much that way through the first nine holes and you were playing well at that point and then you kind of ran into a little block at 11. Go through that whole stretch.

ZACH JOHNSON: I had one bad hiccup there on 4, but, I mean, I really didn't hit that bad of a shot. I just misjudged the wind or something. Through the first, pretty much through the first 13 holes I hit it very, very good and putted great. I mean, I 3 putted 11 and 12. But 11, I hit a good putt, I know I did, and the putt was I thought it was breaking left and I honestly think the wind took it right.

So the wind was a very influential factor on the greens and hit a bad putt on 12. But other than that, I putted great.

TODD BUDNICK: How does it feel to be a champion on the PGA TOUR?

ZACH JOHNSON: It feels amazing. I've said it a hundred times and I'll say it again. I felt like I was an instrument of God's work out there. He worked through me and I just kind of went with it. I got a little ahead of myself at times and I'm back to what got me there. I mean, I leaned on Him and it was great.

Q. How tough was it for you to remain calm, particularly on the back nine?

ZACH JOHNSON: To be calm I never got out of shape that way. I think I was fairly calm. Maybe a smidge antsy at times but I tried to keep my walking pace at a good rhythm. Everything just kind of even keel. I really focused hard on that. That definitely head, especially on the last three holes. Overall, I thought I was fairly calm and fairly patient.

Q. Are there going to be riots in Iowa tonight?

ZACH JOHNSON: Are there going to be riots in Iowa? (Laughter.) I don't think so. A lot of good friends and family back home. I don't foresee that happening. Hopefully a little bit of celebration. But I wish them all the best and can't wait to see everybody.

Q. I watched your father as you putted that 40 footer and he was begging that ball to stop, and I asked him afterward if he flashed back to 2002 when you had the trouble; did you have any thoughts of that at all?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yes, I did. However, you know, I felt like I had a good line on it. I hit a good first putt, I really did, and a better second putt.

You know, I just committed my line and trusted it. My ball mark that my wife gave me has some strip tour on it and it just says, trust your line, Proverbs 3:56. It was amazing.

Q. You're ineligible for the Masters, any thoughts on that? Obviously you'd like to be going.

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, I think you said it exactly. I'd obviously like to play. However, I understand. They have got their system and their rules, so to speak. That's fine. Hopefully I can get there next year. I'm going to be around for a while. I'm not in any hurry. I'll remain patient.

Q. What will you do?

ZACH JOHNSON: Next week? I'll take a lot of time off. I'll have a minor vacation the next few days and head back to Orlando and enjoy Easter Sunday.

Q. Will you watch the tournament?

ZACH JOHNSON: The Masters? Absolutely. Absolutely. You bet. I love it.

Q. Were you watching the leaderboard at all with Padraig right there with you and Hensby?

ZACH JOHNSON: At times, briefly. I think the first time I got a good peak at it was on 13 green . After a couple of bogeys I made a good birdie there and just tried to hit solid shots after that. I hit a couple of swirly ones but rebounded all right.

Q. When you made that putt on 10, they flashed a stat on TV that you were 55 of 55 on putts that were under nine feet this week, and you go to 11 and 12 and missed a couple of short ones. With all of the good putts that you had made, did those two putts do anything to your confidence?

ZACH JOHNSON: No. Like I said, on 11, that green is so open there. Meaning that there's nothing blocking the wind. On my second putt, the wind was coming pretty good from left to right. I tried to hit it right center, I think I did hit it right center because I thought it was going to break left and it literally went probably a ball right. So I hit a good putt.

Next hole, I did not hit a good putt. It really didn't get to me because I was hitting solid shots. I was hitting solid putts, first putts. So I just tried to remain patient.

Q. How important was that pitch shot at 13 and how difficult was it?

ZACH JOHNSON: That was a big shot. You know, it was uphill into the wind, so I had an uphill lie. Granted, downhill release, but it really wasn't all that difficult because of the wind. You just had to get it over the bunker on the green and it will feed down there because of the wind and the backspin. I had more difficult shots than that one today, for sure.

Q. That story on the Internet today where I read you said playing here in 2002 well was your breakthrough; is it ironic then?

ZACH JOHNSON: Maybe a little bit, yeah. I don't know if it was necessarily a breakthrough, but it was definitely a realization for me that I more or less belonged out here and could play out here and compete out here.

And then last year was the biggest boost. I think the entire last year, winning out there a couple of times, being in the hunt a bunch of times. That tour is great. Doesn't get enough credit. It gets some, but it doesn't get enough. Yeah, that helps a lot. But definitely, 2002 and last year are the big ones.

Q. Last year was a great year on the Nationwide Tour, and now winning your 13th start, what took you so long? Just kidding. Last three finishes: 13, 6 and a 1st, the last three times out; do you want to stop, and what is going what is the cause of this progression of better and better finishes? What's coming together for you each week?

ZACH JOHNSON: I think everything. I feel like I'm last year I was pretty consistent. I played pretty well for the most part week in, week out. I think I missed one cut. My fundamentals were pretty good last year. They have gotten a smidge better this year. My composure is a lot better; meaning my course management is better than last year.

You know, it's just adding those factors and as they have gotten better, that's why I'm where I'm at now I think; that, and just trust. I mean, you know, you can get ahead of yourself out there, especially coming down the crunch. I try not to focus on it too much. I mean, I am ecstatic to win, but if it wasn't my time, then, you know, there's another week for it.

I'm not going to go anywhere, like I've said. I hope there's many weeks like this one, but if it wasn't meant to be this week, that's God's plan and I can go along with it.

Q. You were talking about Nationwide and winning on that tour, coming down the stretch on Sunday, what's the difference between those Sundays and this one, just in the way it feels to come down the stretch and win a tournament?

ZACH JOHNSON: Well, now, looking back on it coming down the stretch actually on the golf course? A lot more people. That's the one thing. There is a ton more people out there. If you can see past that, then you'll be all right.

I think that's one thing for guys like myself, rookies or younger guys to get over. Some of the veterans out here, they do it week in and week out and handle themselves phenomenally. I'm getting used to it now. But, you know, like I say, you've just got to persevere one step at a time.

Q. You've talked about it the past two days, but just having all of the friends and investors from Iowa and celebrating with them, what does it mean to have them here, can you put that into words?

ZACH JOHNSON: It's hard to. It's unbelievable. That's ironic that they were here this week. It wasn't all of them but it was a good chunk of them. It started out as a business and turned into a business family, so to speak.

They are great guys, great families, their wives are phenomenal. They are great friends of ours. We wish them all the best. Love them all and glad they them down. Hopefully they can come to more.

Q. Were you playing to protect your lead at all and is there a danger in that?

ZACH JOHNSON: There is a danger in that, for sure. But at the same time on this golf course, you know, pars are not a bad score, especially 16, 17 and 18. That's kind of well, I shouldn't say that.

15, I was trying to 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, I was trying to just make pars, give myself an opportunity to the a birdie putt, but at the same time, I knew some pars would be very good at the time.

I laid up on 18. If I needed to go for it, I would have done it. I had a good yardage and I could have done it, even though I hit 3 wood off the tee.

Q. Last year you were never the front runner; talk about being the front runner today and what that was like?

ZACH JOHNSON: I learned a lot last year I was never in the lead I never won in the lead after two or three days.

You know, I just try not to put much pressure. I try not to put much pressure on myself. I know that this is there's a lot more to life than what I'm doing. This is just another Sunday. That's kind of the way I approached it. It's just another side of it or another Friday. I think you can definitely add pressure to yourself by thinking, "Oh, my gosh, PGA TOUR victory" or whatever the case may be. I don't know; does that answer your question?

Q. Which perk means the most, or if you can

ZACH JOHNSON: I haven't even thought about them.

Q. Two year exemption; lifetime TOUR membership; the Mercedes Championship; the money; just the bragging rights?

ZACH JOHNSON: I'm just proud to win out here. My goal was to play against the best, and I beat some of the best players in the world today.

It feels awesome. I just want to keep doing it, stay competitive. There's obviously the added perks, like you mentioned. I just feel very blessed and fortunate. Those are great, but in the end, I'm just I'm a competitor. I want to win. It doesn't matter what it is.

Q. Do you think these Iowa investors might be planning that trip to Hawaii next January right now?

ZACH JOHNSON: That would be awesome. That would be great. Hope so.

Q. Did the last 4 footer just feel like any other putt? What's going through your mind when you're standing over it?

ZACH JOHNSON: My approach was just any other putt. Just go through my routine, two practice strokes, a couple looks and putt it.

The wind can kind of get to you. That's all I was really thinking about. I hit a pretty solid putt. Was it four feet? Did they measure it?

Two feet, nine inches. I would say under three feet, for sure. Four feet would be long. 3 footer, it was pretty straight.

Q. There's a stat, I don't know exactly, but it's like 9 of 12 winners this year, have been third round leaders, are you aware of that?

ZACH JOHNSON: I was not aware of that. I think Tiger says it best. You can get kind of nervous in the lead, but I've heard him over and over again say, you know, if you're in the lead by a shot or five shots, you have an advantage. You do. But, you know what you're starting at scratch on Sunday. That's your approach. But in the end, you do have a shot or whatever the lead may be, and I had three, fortunately.

Q. This is crazy to play in, the wind, you were playing with Padraig a world class player and he was all over the map, a couple double bogeys, eagle, several birdies; was it hard to keep an even keel type of thing going for you?

ZACH JOHNSON: You know, not really. Padraig is a pretty easy guy to get along with.

Q. Was it tough, it seemed like watching the leaderboard it was crazy, how tough was it being part of that?

ZACH JOHNSON: Well, I've been in it before. I've played in conditions very similar to this, probably even more difficult. I think you have to get into this position. You've got to play to get the experience, you have to play in all sorts of conditions. You know, I made the double today. I made a bunch of bogeys, but I made a bunch of birdies. I'm focusing on the positives. It was a roller coaster up and down like you said, but I never felt different, I really didn't.

After I made that double on 4, I still felt very good. I hit some really good shots on the front nine and a lot on the back.

Q. Last week coming down 18 we saw a finish where the water came into play. How much psychologically does what your shot has to carry over play into your mind when you're standing on that last shot?

ZACH JOHNSON: I hit a good tee shot. That's the biggest shot on 18, especially with the lead. If you can get it in the fairway, you have options. I mean, if I needed to go for it, I could have. However, I had good lay up yardages and the water really did not come into play. My third shot, I pulled, so that was not a very good shot. However, the water really was not my yardages and the club I had selected, it really wasn't

Q. But were you looking at it a little anxiously?

ZACH JOHNSON: After it left my club, yes. But once it was in a good ways up in the air, I really wasn't too worried about it. I'm sure everybody else probably was.

TODD BUDNICK: Let's go through your card. You had a birdie on 1.

ZACH JOHNSON: Birdie on 1. I hit a good drive and a 6 iron to probably eight feet maybe, a slider downhill; it was fast.

4, double. I hit a poor tee shot with a 3 wood. An even worse shot with a 5 iron and it went in the hazard. I took my drop and the wind kind of got to me and my balance, actually on my next shot, but I blocked it out to the proper side. I was just off the green and I don't know how many feet away, probably close to 80 feet,100 feet. Putted, but putted it up to eight, ten feet and missed that. Pretty simple double.

6, I hit a good drive, a good second shot with a 4 iron and Padraig obviously made it. I had a good line and good yardage and I hit a sand wedge to probably a foot, foot and a half maybe.

8, Padraig led off very well with a 5 iron and I had the same thing. I made my putt was pretty straight, maybe right edge, 12, 15 feet. Hit a great drive and we were in between clubs. I went with a little punch wedge to take the one out of play. Made another 10 to 12 footer, I would say.

10, that was probably the best drive I hit today as far as solid goes. I hit a 7 iron on my second shot and I had probably, oh, I'd say a good 40, 45 feet, poor lag, misjudged the lag putt, thought it was more downhill, downwind and made another 6 , 7 foot slider.

13, I hit a good drive, not overly solid. It rolled up and rolled back down. Had a lot of green to work with, so I chipped a sand wedge up there and looked like it checked quite nicely and almost went in.

14, bogey, hit an average drive, very poor second shot, very unsolid. Not a great pitch shot but I had probably six, seven feet. It was a slider and I missed that. I hit it on my line. I just misread it.

15, I hit a poor drive. Even worse second shot. Not that bad of a sandshot and a very good 2 putt from the fringe that was severely downhill.

TODD BUDNICK: Congratulations, Zach.

End of FastScripts.

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