Zach Johnson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zach Johnson
Johnson in April 2007 at Harbour Town Golf Links
Personal information
Full name	Zachary Harris Johnson
Nickname	Zatch
Born	(1976-02-24) February 24, 1976 (age 49) 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)
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 a famous American professional golfer. He has won 12 tournaments on the PGA Tour, including two major championships. These big wins were the Masters in 2007 and The Open Championship in 2015. Zach Johnson was also the captain for the U.S. team at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, Italy.

Zach Johnson's Early Life

Zach Johnson was born in Iowa City, Iowa, and grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was the oldest of three children. As a kid, he played many sports like baseball, basketball, football, and soccer. He started playing golf when he was 10 years old.

Zach played golf for Regis High School. In 1992, when he was a sophomore, he helped his team win the Iowa 3A state championship. After high school, he went to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He was the second-best player on the Drake golf team. He helped his team reach three NCAA regional meets and win two Missouri Valley championships.

Zach Johnson's Golf Career

Zach Johnson became a professional golfer in 1998. He played on smaller tours 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 at the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta. In 2006, he played very well, finishing second twice and third once. Because of his great play, he was chosen for the U.S. Ryder Cup team for the first time in 2006.

Winning Major Championships

In April 2007, Zach Johnson won his first major title at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. He won by two strokes, beating famous golfers like Tiger Woods. His score of 289 (+1) was one of the highest winning scores at the Masters. After this win, he moved from 56th to 15th in the world golf rankings. He was the first player outside the top 50 to win the Masters.

Six weeks after his Masters win, Zach won again at the AT&T Classic. He won in a playoff against Ryuji Imada. This win moved him to 13th in the world rankings. In October 2008, he won the Valero Texas Open.

Zach won the Sony Open in Hawaii in January 2009. This was his fifth PGA Tour victory. He also won the Valero Texas Open again in May 2009, winning in a playoff. He became the first player to shoot a score of 60 twice on the PGA Tour. This was his sixth win. He finished 2009 ranked fourth on the money list, his best ever. In 2010, he won the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. He also played in the Ryder Cup 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.

Johnson with Graeme McDowell at the 2014 Players Championship.

In 2013, Zach lost in a playoff at the John Deere Classic. The next week, he started strong at the 2013 Open Championship and finished tied for 6th place. He continued to play well, getting into the top 10 in six of his next seven tournaments. In September, he won the BMW Championship. This was his tenth career victory.

In December 2013, Zach won against Tiger Woods in a playoff at the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge. This win put him in the top ten of the world golf rankings for the first time. In January 2014, he won his 11th career title at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

At the 2014 U.S. Open, Zach made a hole in one on the 9th hole. This was a rare achievement in the U.S. Open.

On July 20, 2015, Zach Johnson won The Open Championship at St Andrews. He won in a four-hole playoff against Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman. This was his 12th PGA Tour win and his second major championship. 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 (along with Phil Mickelson) to have shot a round of 60 twice on the PGA Tour.

In recent years, Zach's ranking has changed, but he continued to play in many tournaments. He was still fully allowed to play on the PGA Tour because of his 2015 Open Championship win.

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. The family lives in St. Simons, Georgia.

In 2020, Zach Johnson received the Payne Stewart Award. This award is given to a golfer who shows great character, charity, and sportsmanship.

The Zach Johnson Foundation

The Zach Johnson Foundation is a special organization that helps children and their families in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Zach and his wife Kim started a program that raised $700,000 to help children in need. Zach has said that starting this foundation was a dream for him and Kim. They wanted to give back to their hometown in a lasting and meaningful way.

Major Championship Wins

Zach Johnson has won two major championships:

Year	Championship	Winning score	Margin	Runners-up
2007	Masters Tournament	+1 (289)	2 strokes	Retief Goosen, Rory Sabbatini, Tiger Woods
2015	The Open Championship	−15 (273)	Playoff1	Marc Leishman, Louis Oosthuizen

¹Defeated Leishman and Oosthuizen in a four-hole aggregate playoff.

Ryder Cup and Other Team Appearances

Zach Johnson has represented the United States in many team golf events:

• World Cup: 2005
• Ryder Cup: 2006, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 (winners). In 2023, he was the non-playing captain for the U.S. team.
• Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge (representing PGA Tour): 2006 (winners)
• Presidents Cup: 2007 (winners), 2009 (winners), 2013 (winners), 2015 (winners)

See also

In Spanish: Zach Johnson para niños