Zach Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zach Johnson |
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Johnson in April 2007 at Harbour Town Golf Links
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Zachary Harris Johnson |
| Nickname | Zatch |
| Born | February 24, 1976 Iowa City, Iowa, U.S, |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 160 lb (73 kg; 11 st) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Residence | St. Simons Island, Georgia, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Kim Barclay
(m. 2003) |
| Children | 3 |
| Career | |
| College | Drake University |
| Turned professional | 1998 |
| Current tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Former tour(s) | Nationwide Tour NGA Hooters Tour |
| Professional wins | 26 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 12 |
| European Tour | 2 |
| Web.com Tour | 2 |
| Other | 12 |
| Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 2) |
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| The Masters Tournament | Won: 2007 |
| U.S. Open | T8: 2016, 2020 |
| The Open Championship | Won: 2015 |
| PGA Championship | T3: 2010 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Nationwide Tour money list winner |
2003 |
| Nationwide Tour Player of the Year |
2003 |
| Payne Stewart Award | 2020 |
Zachary Harris Johnson (born February 24, 1976) is an American professional golfer. He has won 12 times on the PGA Tour. This includes two major championships: the 2007 Masters and the 2015 Open Championship. In 2023, Zach was the captain for the U.S. team at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, Italy.
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Zach Johnson's Early Life
Zach Johnson was born in Iowa City, Iowa. He grew up in Cedar Rapids. He is the oldest of three children. As a kid, Zach played many sports like baseball, basketball, football, and soccer. He started playing golf when he was 10 years old. He practiced his golf skills at Elmcrest Country Club.
When he was in high school, Zach played golf for Regis High School. In 1992, his team won the Iowa 3A state championship. After graduating in 1994, Zach went to Drake University in Des Moines. He was the number-two player on the Drake golf team. He helped his team reach three NCAA regional meets. They also won two Missouri Valley championships.
Zach Johnson's Professional Golf Career
Zach Johnson became a professional golfer in 1998. He played on smaller tours first, like the Prairie Golf Tour and the Hooters Tour. In 2001, he won three events in a row on the Hooters Tour. In 2003, he earned the most money on the Nationwide Tour. This helped him move up to the PGA Tour.
First PGA Tour Wins
Zach won his first PGA Tour event in 2004. It was the BellSouth Classic near Atlanta. He won by one shot. In 2006, he played very well. He finished second twice and third once. This helped him join the U.S. Ryder Cup team for the first time in 2006.
Winning the Masters
In April 2007, Zach won his first major championship. This was the famous Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. He won by two shots. His score tied for the highest winning score at the Masters. This win moved him from 56th to 15th in the world golf rankings. He was the first player outside the top 50 to win the Masters. After winning, he talked about his Christian faith. He thanked God for his victory.
Just six weeks after the Masters, Zach won again. He won the AT&T Classic in a playoff. This win moved him to 13th in the world rankings. His next PGA Tour win was in October 2008. He won the Valero Texas Open by two shots.
More Victories and Milestones
Zach won the Sony Open in Hawaii in January 2009. This was his fifth PGA Tour win. He then won the Valero Texas Open again in May. He won in a playoff. During this tournament, he shot a round of 60. This was the second time he had shot a 60 on the PGA Tour. He was the first player to do this twice. He finished the 2009 season ranked fourth on the money list.
In 2010, Zach won his seventh PGA Tour event. This was the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. He played well all year. He qualified for the U.S. Ryder Cup team again.
In 2012, Zach won the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial for the second time. He also won the John Deere Classic in a playoff. He defeated Troy Matteson. This was his second win of the year.
In 2013, Zach almost won the John Deere Classic again. He lost in a playoff to Jordan Spieth. The next week, he started strong at the 2013 Open Championship. He finished tied for 6th place. He continued to play well. In September, he won the BMW Championship. This was his tenth career victory.
In December 2013, Zach won against Tiger Woods in a playoff. This win moved him into the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. In January 2014, he won his 11th career title. This was at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He reached a career-high ranking of 6th in the world.
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At the 2014 U.S. Open, Zach made a hole in one. This was on the 9th hole. It was only the second hole in one at Pinehurst No. 2.
Winning The Open Championship
On July 20, 2015, Zach won his second major championship. He won The Open Championship at St Andrews. He beat Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in a playoff. This was his 12th PGA Tour win. He became one of only six golfers to win majors at both Augusta (Masters) and St. Andrews (Open Championship).
Zach Johnson is one of only two players (with Phil Mickelson) to have shot a round of 60 twice on the PGA Tour.
In 2019, Zach did not make the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the first time since they started in 2007. He said he was "extremely disappointed." In July 2021, he had to withdraw from the 2021 Open Championship. He tested positive for COVID-19. This ended his streak of playing in 69 major championships in a row.
Zach Johnson's Personal Life
Zach Johnson is married to Kim Barclay. They got married in 2003. They have two sons, Will and Wyatt, and one daughter, Abby Jane. They used to live in Lake Mary, Florida. Now they live in St. Simons, Georgia.
Zach was raised Catholic. But he joined his wife's church before they got married. In 2020, Zach won the Payne Stewart Award. This award is given to a golfer who shows good character and charity.
The Zach Johnson Foundation
The Zach Johnson Foundation helps children and their families. It focuses on those in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Zach and his wife Kim started a program. It raised $700,000 for groups that help children in need. Zach said that starting this foundation was a dream for him and Kim. They wanted to give back to Cedar Rapids in a lasting way.
Zach Johnson's Major Championship Wins (2)
- 2007 Masters Tournament
- 2015 Open Championship
Images for kids
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Johnson in April 2007 at Harbour Town Golf Links
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Johnson with Graeme McDowell at the 2014 Players Championship. Johnson finished tied for 26th.
