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BAY HILL INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARD

March 18, 2004

Zach Johnson

ORLANDO, FLORIDA

TODD BUDNICK: Thank you, Zach, for joining us after a 5 under 67, clubhouse leader right now, sharing.

Nationwide Tour Player of the Year last year, you made five out of seven cuts to start the year. How happy are you with your start?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, it's been a pretty good progression. I'm not use the to playing competitive golf early and that is one factor. I was playing well but I'm not scoring near as well or near as consistent as I did last year.

You know, I'm still ironing out my fundamentals. I had an off week and worked with my instructor up here. Now I'm starting to see the benefits of it.

TODD BUDNICK: This is a tough course to play, and you started off a little bit slow, but turned around and the front nine for you, four birdies in a row; talk a little about that.

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, I try to remain patient. I was hitting pretty solid. Hitting some good putts. Just wasn't making them. I hit it too close, with the exception of maybe once or twice through 12 holes or so.

Yeah, I got the putter rolling, a little confidence came with it, momentum, and I was able to make, like I said, four in a row and I hit it good, too. That's momentum, a good thing to have.

Q. Have you heard of anything about this Woods guy who is on the leaderboard?

ZACH JOHNSON: I'm familiar with him. And it doesn't surprise me, at all, quite frankly.

Q. Are you surprised about yourself, sitting on top? You're feeling good about your game?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, exactly. I feel good. I feel good with where I'm at. You know. It's early; it's Thursday. Every Thursday of every week, I just try to go out, keep myself in the tournament at worst. Because you can shoot yourself out of it, but you can't win it. So that's kind of an old cliche, but at the same time, it's very appropriate, especially on this golf course because it's a pretty demanding course, especially with the greens.

So I'm a little surprised with the way my ball striking has come. I'd like to think I'm a pretty good putter. I found the bottom of the hole a few times today. It was fun.

TODD BUDNICK: You're an Orlando guy now. Did you happen to practice out here before or did you wait till this week?

ZACH JOHNSON: No. I had only played here I played here right after the greens were finished, three years ago, I believe. I only got to play the front nine. The back nine opened I think the day after I played. So I had seen the front. I saw the back nine for the first time yesterday.

I played late in the day on Wednesday going off on a tangent here . I played late Wednesday because I wanted to play the course as close to the conditions as possible going into Thursday.

Q. So much has been made of the greens here, yet you seem to handle them pretty well. Are they more receptive than the tradition has been?

ZACH JOHNSON: I think so. Like I said, this is my first time playing. I've heard horror stories stories about the greens and the way they react. The front pins are the hardest; you have to land it either just on or on the fringe. Those are difficult.

And then, like I said, I putted well, but I also hit a lot of fringe. So my putting stats probably weren't necessarily true to scale. I actually made a couple of putts from the fringe. They were not necessarily that long but that helps the putting stats. I try to be aggressive when I could at the pins and conservative when I need to.

Q. The forecast calls for 80 and sunny every day. What's that going to do for the course? How much more difficult will it play on the weekend and how do you adjust?

ZACH JOHNSON: I think it's going to progressively get harder, there's no question. The fairways dry up a little bit, that also helps. The greens are firming up. You're going have to think a lot more on your approach shots but you know you're going to have a higher lofting clubs if the fairways firm up as well. I've never played on the weekend, so that's just my guess.

I would assume the greens are going to get a little firmer. They are rolling really, really good right now. I would not say they are exceptionally fast but they are going to get faster and harder as the week goes on. I mean, they had a huge downpour on Tuesday throughout the day. They did a good job of draining it off and getting it ready.

Q. Anything about the transition to this tour that's a surprise to you?

ZACH JOHNSON: You know, my wife and I talk about that quite a bit. I would say it's a minor transition with respect to the biggest difference is the names on the leaderboard. Nationwide Tour, I think is exceptional. It's the second best tour. I think it's still somewhat underrated. They did a very good job out there.

But at the same time, up here, it is a little different. It takes a little time to get used to, I think. Especially early on in the year for me it was. There was some media attention that I wasn't familiar with and some off course stuff that I had to get used to. Then I'm starting to feel more comfortable now. It's actually starting to dwindle so it's kind of nice.

All in all, it's pretty similar. Everybody been very respectful. It's just awesome. I've been trying to meet people and meet the guys. I would say everyone I introduce myself to, five or six, they introduce themselves to me.

Q. Do you think golf has become more difficult for a young player to become a star than other sports?

ZACH JOHNSON: You know, I just think the game of golf has got a lot of parity more so than maybe in other sports because there's so many guys. There's so many guys coming up through the ranks whether they are collegiate, mini tours, coming onto our tour from overseas or whatever.

I don't know, does that kind of answer your question? I think the parity in the game makes it exceptionally difficult. It's all about seizing your opportunities and making the best of them because only certain number get to the PGA TOUR. It's difficult.

Q. So far this year no one under 30 has won except Tiger. We heard so much about the young guns coming last few years, and it just seems like it gets harder and harder for a young guy to win?

ZACH JOHNSON: How old is he? 28? Yeah, I mean, last year proves your point right there, with all of the veterans winning last year. The courses, they are familiar with, that helps, versus some of the younger guys and they know what it takes. I think it's going to remain the same for a while. The equipment has gotten better, but yet the older guys have gotten in better shape, too. Probably due to Tiger and what he's started.

I think it's going to be more veterans than younger guys for a while, I don't know. It's hard to say. That's a tough question.

Q. Compared to the other young players with a lot of promise, how do you think you stack up as far as driving distance is concerned? Your stats so far are a little below that?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, I'm not much of a statistic, I don't look at them a whole lot. However, you're right, I'm by no means long. I would say I'm pretty average. Every now and then I can get it out there, but I also consider driving one of my strengths. I'm pretty straight. It's one of my better clubs. But distance wise, you're right, I'm not up there. I'm working out a lot and trying to get stronger and I think in time I can get the ball to go a little further. I don't think the ball is going to get much longer with some of the stuff that the USGA is doing, which is great.

Q. What's the biggest thing that you feel that you've got to get better at to be a contender to win out here?

ZACH JOHNSON: Well, first and foremost, experience, just getting in the heat of it more times, that will definitely help me. But every aspect of my game needs to improve, without a doubt. My iron play has been probably average at best. My wedges, especially, average at best. I usually put decent. So I would say my iron game is the game, the part of my game and my course management. You can always improve on that.

Q. Can we sum it up then; your mental game, you're kind of a mental player?

ZACH JOHNSON: I think so. A lot of coaches think that. One of my I say that I don't look at the statistics, but one of my best stats the last couple years has been my bounceback, meaning if I have a bad hole or two, I usually come back with a birdie right in there. I think I ranked No. 1 in that last year. And I think that is a part of the mental side; that I'm able to fight through it. And I don't like to give up. I never have, as far as I can remember.

So, I just keep fighting because in this game, it's extremely humbling. You just never know what's going to happen, with a good shot or a bad shot. At the same time I need to improve my mental game on Sunday.

Q. Do you think your bounceback has been a good stat for you because you can look at it rationally and keep an even keel or does it light a fire?

ZACH JOHNSON: I'm a pretty practical person. So, you know, I've got holes left. That's all I try to tell myself, regardless if I make a bogey. There's a lot of holes left, remain patient and keep fighting. That's all you can do. I mean, especially on a golf course like this. There is birdies out there, but yet, par is a good score on a lot of those holes. At the end of the day, par is not a bad score for 18 holes. You just need to keep that in the back of your head. If you have a bad hole, a bad hole or two, you've got time. Plus, it's Thursday.

I think I made a bogey today, and the next hole I think I made birdie if I'm not mistaken. That kind of relieves the stress for me. You get upset after a bogey or double or whatever, you respond.

Q. Is there a good example of how you're practical off the course?

ZACH JOHNSON: I am extremely practical. I like to have all of the information in front of me before I make a decision.

Q. Are you tight with your money?

ZACH JOHNSON: Extremely. (Laughter.) You can ask my wife on that one.

Q. Have you ever played with Tiger? Have you ever talked with him?

ZACH JOHNSON: I've met him on one occasion and that was at the Nissan. My caddie, Damon, has been out here for years, and knows Steve and Tiger. So that's how I met him.

Q. How long did that last?

ZACH JOHNSON: You know we were both getting ready to play on the putting green. It was pretty short but very nice. You know, he was concentrating, trying to get focused and whatnot, as I was. But after that, I was a little shake auto en, sure. He was extremely nice.

Q. How much has Damon helped with the adjustment coming up to this tour this year?

ZACH JOHNSON: Those of you that know Damon, he's a pretty low key guy, which is great for me. Some of my tendencies, I tend to walk pretty fast out there. I can get pretty quick in my routine and that's something I'm trying to work on.

So, you know, he helps in that respect a lot. Just got to settle down, relax, calm down. The next thing, I'd say he's a low key guy. If he says something, he doesn't say much, he usually means it. Especially he knows this golf course probably better than most of the caddies out here, I would think, I don't know for sure, but he used belong here. He's played here I don't know how many times.

He's helped a lot, every week, missed the cut or make the cut, without a doubt, very positive.

Q. The last two weeks it's been a trend for to you play well in the first round and not really play well in the second round. What's been the reason for that?

ZACH JOHNSON: That's a good question. I have no idea.

The last two weeks, I just had bad days. It was one of those last week I didn't even play that bad. Just that golf course was funky, kind of screwy and I hit a lot of good shots and made a lot of bogeys, unfortunately.

Doral, Doral was just an overall bad day. We tried to think about it and find the causes of it. I was going through some minor swing changes at that time, and it worked on Thursday but Friday I just didn't have the feeling down. So we just chopped it up as a bad day and often times you have to.

Q. Is that part of the adjustment out here, just not dwell on those type of days?

ZACH JOHNSON: No question. No question. I mean, you can't. In this game, it's very easy to get down and then start thinking negative. I think you have to stay in the present, be realistic about things, like I said, a lot of the year left. A lot of pros out here feel that the tour doesn't start till Doral. There's 40 plus weeks out here. So I'm not used to that. I'm trying to go one step at a time, one day at a time.

TODD BUDNICK: Let's go over your bogey and birdies.

ZACH JOHNSON: 13, hit a good tee shot, hit a wedge and it hung in the air and landed on the fringe and went back in the water. It landed on the fringe, so I was able to drop it on the fringe again, 2 putt for bogey.

Then the next hole, I hit a 6 iron to ten feet, made a good putt and kind of went from there.

3, I didn't hit a very good drive, but I got fortunate, ended up in the left short, intermediate cut. I hit a good wedge to 12 feet, pretty straight putt.

Next hole, I hit a good drive. Hit a pretty good second shot. I went for it in two on the par 5, 3 wood. Just got in the bunker, hit a pretty darned good flop shot to six feet and made that.

6, I hit a decent drive. Decided I had to lay up to a pretty good distance and sand wedge in there. Actually, it wasn't on the green, but it was pin high right on the fringe.

8, I hit a pretty good drive and was in between clubs, between a six and a five and I went with a hard six; that was the best shot I hit all day. Hit it right over the flag. After I hit it I thought it was perfect. It just cut right through the wind. Right on the bank fringe, again, and 15, 20 feet, probably closer to 20 feet. I think that was the best putt of the day, too.

Q. Have you lived here long enough to be a Florida guy, thinking of Honda and now here, knowing the courses and whatnot? Are you a transplant?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, my blood is thinning out. As far as knowledge of the golf course, I don't think so. I was telling these guys earlier that this is only the well, second full 18 I've played out here. My caddie, that's where it helps, he's been out here, I don't know how many times. He's played the event with a sponsor's exemption.

End of FastScripts.

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