“PRO” File – Touring Professional Zach Johnson

He wasn’t the best player on his college team.  He wasn’t even the best player on his high school team. Most players in this situation would not be dreaming of success as a professional golfer, but Zach Johnson has always been somewhat of an underdog.  That hasn’t stopped him from winning 11 times on the PGA Tour, including the 2007 Masters, along with 15 other professional victories. Johnson first played the game at the age of 10, and was an all-around athlete, playing many sports.  He was the number two man on his Regis High School team Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and was lightly recruited.  He matriculated at Drake University in Des Moines, where he also finished his college career in 1998 as his team’s number two player.  He turned professional, and shortly thereafter won three events on the now-defunct Prairie Golf Tour.  He played the Hooters Tour in 2001 and 2002 (now the NGA Tour), and in 2002 successfully Monday-qualified for the BellSouth Classic outside Atlanta on the PGA Tour.  He made waves, flirting with a top-10 finish before bogeying the final hole to wind up in a tie for 17th.    The following year, he led what is now the Web.com Tour’s money list, and in 2004 won his first PGA Tour event at – where else? – the BellSouth Classic. Since then, Johnson has steadily climbed the ladder of success, appearing multiple times on Ryder Cup and President’s Cup teams for the United States.  He doesn’t hit the ball far for a professional golfer, but his superior course management and short game have allowed him to become one of the best players in the world.  He’s still going strong at age 37 (soon to be 38), and it’s likely he’s only going to improve into his 40s.