MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 12, 2024

Zach Johnson

Quick Quotes

Q. Why don't you clear the air about the social media thing.

ZACH JOHNSON: I'm not familiar with any social media thing out there. I've just signed my scorecard.

Q. There was some comment attributed to you to the patrons after your shots on 12.

ZACH JOHNSON: My first shot that went in the bush?

Q. It was after the putt maybe.

ZACH JOHNSON: After my putt for double bogey? Or after my putt for triple -- I guess it really doesn't matter. I can't hear anything from -- they're 100 -- with the downhill, they're 152. They're actually 154 away, so 152 away. I don't understand the situation at all.

What are they saying that I did or said?

Q. It's been reported that you swore at some of the patrons.

ZACH JOHNSON: That I swore at the patrons? That's laughable. That's completely laughable. I can't hear the patrons, number one. Number two, I just made a triple bogey on the 12th hole that evidently is going to make me miss the cut, which at the time I knew was pretty sensitive in the sense that I needed to keep making pars.

If I've said anything, which I'm not going to deny, especially if it's on camera, one, I apologize, and two, it was fully directed towards myself entirely because I can't hear anything behind me. Does that make sense?

Q. Since the Ryder Cup you've caught some comments from different fans at different tournaments. How difficult has that been to deal with?

ZACH JOHNSON: You're going to have to elaborate. I'm sorry.

Q. At the Phoenix Open there were some comments made.

ZACH JOHNSON: Oh, no, again, I'm not on social media, haven't been for months upon -- maybe even close to a year. I was shown a video. I think I know which one it was because it happened multiple times where I interjected. But when I see vomiting and then guys egging on the guy to drink another beer with a middle school golf team to my right, I'm going to say something as an adult.

Q. Have you felt like you've gotten grief from people over --

ZACH JOHNSON: No. Well, nothing face to face. Again, I'm not on social media for obvious reasons. I have social media within my management firm, if that makes sense, but I'm not on it personally. I don't think I've had -- I haven't had anything personally unfair in regards to anything. Again, I haven't been on social media, so I really don't know what's being said.

Q. You won a Masters in windy conditions. Where does a day like today compare to that?

ZACH JOHNSON: Today was extremely difficult. In a really, really demented way, somehow you're going to find joy in that difficulty, if that makes sense.

I didn't play well enough yesterday. Granted, yesterday was very difficult, as well, but it wasn't like today. Personally if I look at my scorecards, that's really what took me out of it.

Yeah, obviously there's an ability to score out there. We're seeing that. This is a situation which -- I'll say this: I think all major championships do a very good job of separating the field, meaning if you're playing well and hitting the middle of the face, obviously putting decent, it will show, and this will be the extreme example of that.

If you're doing all of that here in these conditions, you can -- it's almost like that separation is enhanced. Does that make sense? I think that's a -- I don't think that's a bad thing. I just think that's the -- that's what's laid out in front of you.

Q. So it's no surprise Scottie is doing what he's doing, Bryson --

ZACH JOHNSON: I mean, I don't look at data a whole lot outside of myself, but I've glanced at his, and his data as of late is -- again, I don't know what adjective to use, but it's extremely impressive, and evidently it's carrying over to here, which is no surprise. That's what we're seeing. Bryson obviously is hitting it in the middle of the face, too.

I'm not surprised. I'm impressed but I'm not surprised.

Q. Can you compare these conditions to 2007 when you won?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, I think the wind is a bit more severe. We were joking on the 18th green that it looked like it was top-dressed with sand. I don't know if I've really seen that much sand on greens -- as you get higher up on the golf course, the wind is more prevalent, but it's easier to dictate where it is because it's not in the low part.

For example, No. 12, I had 7-iron out and I hit 8-iron and I hit it 15 yards into the bushes over the green. If I would have hit 7, I might have been at Augusta Country Club. Point being you're looking at the compass and you're trying to look at the flags and you're trying to dictate what to do, and it's really difficult, but at the same time, commitment and being assertive pays off.

Shoot, personally I played great today. I shot 3-over and I made a triple on 12, and that unfortunately carried over to 13, the par-5. I made a bogey there.

Q. What did you do so well in 2007 when the wind blew to help you win?

ZACH JOHNSON: Well, one of you asked me. The difference in '07 is I don't think it got to -- it would be cool to find out. I don't think it hit 60 degrees that entire week. The course was probably a pinch, I mean a pinch, shorter, based on total length. I don't know what holes that would be. Probably 18 and maybe one or two other ones. Obviously that's right, 5 for sure. 7 was already pushed back. Clearly 13 and 11. Some of those holes, though, those tee boxes are so long that you can almost get it back to the original, and then if you include the downhill, in some instances it almost plays the same. But granted, the ball goes further.

All that being said, the temperature that year was -- I shot 4-over on Saturday, and it was probably one of the better rounds of the week, and I moved up. I don't know how often you shoot 4-over at Augusta National and move up. I remember I played with Vijay and he shot 81. We both hit it nice. It's just you're at the whim of the gusts.

Q. Windier this week than 2007?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yes, I think so. I think so because I don't think -- Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, one or two of those days we had some rain because I remember on Wednesday in the practice round, I was walking up 18, I'm playing with Luke Donald and Stewart in a nine-hole practice round, and I remember I hit a good drive and I'm pumping 3-iron in there, and I'm like, I've got no chance this week. But it firmed up a little bit because the winds came.

I think so. I think you're right. I think it's a little bit more this week because of that.

Q. This particular day, is it the windiest day you've ever seen at Augusta that you've played?

ZACH JOHNSON: Man, I can't think off the top of my head. We had gusts on that Saturday that made it difficult to putt. But I think what was trying that Saturday was gusts probably in the 20 to 25, not 35 to 40, and temperature. I don't think the wind chill was above 40, if I'm not mistaken. But it was a sunny day, too. It was kind of strange. I felt like I was in Iowa, frankly.

Q. Can you talk about obviously this is an important event for people that have won here before, past champions. To leave early like you're leaving now, could you talk about how difficult that is?

ZACH JOHNSON: It is difficult. I'm kind of glad you acknowledged that. It's hard because of my affinity and my love and my -- honestly my complete reverence for this place and the people. I don't know, I could get emotional talking about it because I think it's the best. The mere fact that I'm still invited back to this with very average play -- granted, I've had some other things on my mind the last three years, but with very average play, is special. I don't take that for granted, and if I do, I've got people that slap me around and tell me to shut up. Great accountability in that regard.

I have a deep reverence and humility for this place. The people, the members, the patrons, it's legitimately everything. Once you take a left or right down Magnolia, this place is -- I don't know, I'm trying to figure out the adjective. There's a word -- there's not a word that describes it in its entirety. It's just that good.

Q. Do you watch on the weekend?

ZACH JOHNSON: If I miss the cut? One million percent, yeah. One million percent.

I'm going to clear that up. I don't know what was said on 12 because I'm really frustrated by that. I'm just frustrated by that. I am sorry if it looked like that. Please know that. I had no intention of -- I can't hear anybody. I probably should have said something to my caddie. No, I'm just kidding. All seriousness, I apologize if there was something there.