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THE 146TH OPEN

July 22, 2017

Zach Johnson

Southport, England

ZACH JOHNSON: Different than what I have played. Much softer, much greener. Very, very gettable. Very gettable today, obviously. You saw that. Very gettable.

Q. (Inaudible.)
ZACH JOHNSON: What do you mean? I'm sorry?

Q. (Inaudible.)
ZACH JOHNSON: Okay. Sure. I think it's just a great golf course. It has everything, character, left, right, you've got to hit it high, you have to hit it left, right, low, you've got to hit everything. And so those who are in control, which is usually the best players, potential Hall of Famers or Hall of Famers, no surprise there. It just requires everything. Short game, obviously, too.

Q. (Inaudible.)
ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean iron play is important. I almost think the tee shots are more important. You get the ball in play here, I mean, pars and birdies are -- pars are not easy, but are very much gettable. And then occasional birdie here and there. So, yeah, you've got to obviously hit your irons well. But I think the tee shots are more important.

Q. (Inaudible.)
ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, based on the wind, based on the conditions, based on where the pot bunkers are situated. Just getting that ball in play I think to me is certainly the premium of a good links golf course, and this one would certainly define that. I mean greens are almost like big in some spots, but it doesn't matter if you're in a pot bunker in the rough. This place, Lytham, maybe Muirfield are the three that stand out in tee shots, accuracy and -- as far as getting a good number. Those three stand out. You have to really hit your tee shots well.

Q. You're pumped up?
ZACH JOHNSON: I'm fired up right now.

Q. Were you seeing that Branden Grace had that number out there today --
ZACH JOHNSON: I didn't see the leaderboard. I saw -- I didn't see who or red numbers. I saw that somebody was 5 or 6. There was a lot of red.

Q. Knowing there was a lot of red, what were you thinking when you got into the round?
ZACH JOHNSON: I was just trying to stay patient because I knew it was still gettable. I knew there were still birdies out there. If I got the ball in the fairway, there was an opportunity. The middle of my round I just got a little bit lazy and didn't get much out of it, as well. My last four or five holes I hit great putts that didn't go in. I'm sorry, I did make one, on 15; I two-putted for birdie.

But I hit a great putt on 16 and 17 and 18 for par, and just terrible lag putt on 18. Complete misread there.

But I just didn't get anything out of it in the sense -- so you see the red -- I knew there was going to be red today. You saw the forecast, when you see three to five mile an hour winds at The Open after rain, there's going to be red. No surprise.

Q. You've been in the hunt in majors, do you put added pressure on yourself when you're in the hunt?
ZACH JOHNSON: No, because I feel like my game is good, so there's really no reason to put pressure on myself in that regard, one.

Two, the more pressure I put on myself to finish high, usually the worse it ends up, no matter what tournament it is, major or PGA Tour tournament.

No, I think for the most part my game plan was great today. I don't know, I don't know what happened. I really didn't play that bad. If someone were to follow in my footsteps they would have seen it wasn't that bad a day. Yesterday I made putts, and I can think of two putts outside of -- well, I made about an 8-footer and 9-footer today and that was it. I made a 3-footer for par on 9, 4-footer, maybe. And that was it. So I made two putts. And conditions like this, that is difficult. The pins are tucked, but you still should be able to get at it. My short game probably let me down more than anything today.

Q. (Inaudible.)
ZACH JOHNSON: That's the hardest I've played, hardest venue I've played in this championship, for sure. Conditions and elements are part of that, certainly. But as far as tee-to-green, that's the hardest golf course in the rotation that I've seen. St Georges is tricky, goofy, maybe need luck more than there any place. I would put -- and Lytham is close, too. St Annes. That's one of the better driving courses I think we play. So those four stand out. Troon is good, too. Gosh, they're all good. That's why it's my favourite tournament. They're all good. But I think tee-to-green, St. Andrews is probably the hardest.

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