HONDA CLASSIC

February 23, 2023

Zach Johnson

PGA National Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. Zach, 68 today. If we can get some comments on your opening round.

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, solid. Hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens. Kind of a bonehead mistake on 15, misread, three-putt there, if you will, from the fringe. Had an opportunity to make a save on 17, misread the putt. I hit a good putt.

Solid day. You always kind of go based on how you finished. I thought I had a great opportunity to post a really nice number, but there's always tomorrow.

Greens, as they should, later in the day, they get a little bumpier, and they'll be nicer in the morning.

Q. Talk a little bit about the grouping with Padraig and Luke.

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, awesome, two good friends, obviously, and then obviously Luke and I are going at something together in the Ryder Cup. He's always been a good friend, and to partner with him in this endeavor, in this distinct honor is awesome. He and Diane, for that matter. I love the Donalds. Happy to do it together, and obviously Padraig is a stud, still a machine. Probably didn't have his entire best today, but he can still win out here. That's the bottom line.

Got to be the highest average age grouping this week would be my guess. I don't know what that number is, but I'm going to say it's 47 or older.

Q. Can you talk about drawing on Paddy for resources; do you talk to someone who's been in the position you're in now in the past to try to just kind of get --

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, I haven't with Padraig, but I wouldn't hesitate. I played with Padraig in my first or second TOUR event that I ever played in 20-some -- 22, 23 years ago, and we've always been -- ever since that point, we've obviously been more than cordial. I would say pretty good friends. He and his wife and his family. I wouldn't even hesitate. No, I will bump shoulders, rub shoulders, whatever you want to say, and ask some questions with former American captains for sure. That's a given. And I would say many, many, many former captains, ones that I didn't even have captain for me, have reached out or have offered their services, which is tremendous.

I remember hearing it years ago when I started playing in them, once you're on that team, you're basically on that team forever. It's just whether or not you play. That's a special notion and something that I take to heart.

Q. No trash talking at all with Luke, nothing?

ZACH JOHNSON: No, we're in this together. Bottom line is that we're ultra competitors first, and so I think we're probably similar in the way we approach the game, but then also in our temperaments are pretty comparable. He's very chill. I mean, I probably have a little bit more of a spike and drop in my blood.

We're competitors first. We'll lead -- I'm confident in saying that we'll both try to lead the proper way and let the golf clubs of our 12 players do all the talking.

Q. You guys are in a little different position with the LIV Golfers. You have a little bit more clarity than he has right now because he doesn't know who's going to be on the team. For you going forward and how you're managing this whole thing, with that hanging over a little bit, how are you just going to get through PGA TOUR schedule and managing your duties?

ZACH JOHNSON: I mean, I'm not concerned about it right now at all, frankly. There's so much fluidity and uncertainty still involved. I'm not sure what clarity I really have, to be honest with you, because it's ever changing. There is some differences, some subtle and some substantial, between what he's going through and I'm going through. I think there's still -- they've got something coming up here around the corner with the injunction maybe. I don't even understand it all to be honest with you on his team, but I don't need to. But I feel for him. It's not the easiest thing to navigate.

What I do know is that I'm confident in the individuals that have surrounded me, individuals that I will lean on and certainly counsel with, starting with my team but then also without question my PGA of America team. They're in my corner, and they're going to help me. Whatever uncertainty and I would say difficulties I may have, we'll do it together.