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Zach Johnson: Pga Tour
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It's easy to get the impression that Zach Johnson is a hard worker who has gotten what he deserves. Through dedication and a steady demeanor, he has risen to the upper echelon of his profession—he and Hamilton were the only rookies who worked their way to the Tour Championship by finishing among the top 30 money winners at the end of last season.
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In his third round at the Tour Championship on Saturday, Zach Johnson reached the 18th tee needing one more birdie to post a score of 59. Had he gotten that birdie, Johnson would have become the fourth golfer in PGA Tour history to shoot 59.
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"Zach has resonated on so many different levels," says Buffoni. "With other players people might feel intimidated or that they've got no chance to get him to say yes, but not with him." Simply going through the mail consumes hours of Johnson's time. "There are bags piled up in every place people can think of," says Buffoni. "My office, the PGA Tour, [with] his parents, Kim's parents, his coach Mike Bender, Elmcrest Country Club in Cedar Rapids, you name it."
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A handful of men invested in Zach early in his career to give him the funds necessary to play mini-tours. "It started out as a business, but it ended up as a business family," Johnson said at his BellSouth victory (they were in attendance). "It's unbelievable having them here." These investors, members at Elmcrest Country Club, had bought shares at $500 apiece to give him traveling money. Don't worry, he's apparently paid them back.
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Just five years ago Johnson was playing on mini tours. In 2003, he earned Player of the Year honors on the Nationwide Tour, followed by his first win on the PGA TOUR in 2004 as a rookie. After steady play but no wins in 2005 and 2006, Johnson was one of four unheralded rookies to qualify for the 2006 U.S. Ryder Cup team at the K Club in Ireland. While the Americans were thumped by the Europeans, Johnson had a very respectable maiden showing, going 1-2-1.
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Johnson needed investors to ignite his career. His first was Craig Hotchkiss, a neighbor of the Johnsons. Johnson told Hotchkiss he would play the Prairie Golf Tour, a small-time circuit in the Midwest. He ... would go to Florida, where he could play in the winter and practice.
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