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BUICK CHAMPIONSHIP

August 27, 2004

Zach Johnson

CROMWELL, CONNECTICUT

Q. Did you play together at Memorial? Is that the only time you've played together?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, it was. That was two of the best days of my golfing career for sure, because I played with Fred Funk (laughter). I mean, it was. He's just laid back and easygoing. But playing with Jack was unbelievable. I mean, there could not have been a better threesome.

LAURY LIVSEY: Last year you were in Utah and you won your last Nationwide Tour event, and that event is going on right now, and you came on and won, now you're out here on the PGA Tour and you're tied for the lead. What are some of your thoughts.

ZACH JOHNSON: I played well at this time of year last year like you said, and for whatever reason, there is a trend in that with me. I seem to play decent in the spring and then okay in the summer and then get back to things late summer, early fall. I hope last year is a sign that this year will be good, too.

Q. What do you like about the golf course other than the fact that you're tied for the lead? Anything in particular that you like?

ZACH JOHNSON: Absolutely. I like every hole to be honest with you. I was just telling the guys outside, it's got everything. It's got a lot of character. It's got lefts and rights, ups and downs, greens have a lot of subtleties but yet they also have a lot of major breaks, too, and they're rolling pure. They're not overly fast but they're really true.

The other factor would be that this golf course can suit anybody's game. You've got Hank Kuehne who's playing well, you've got Fred, who doesn't hit it very far, but he gets it out there, but a shorter guy and a longer guy can play well on this golf course. You don't have to play your you can play within yourself. This golf course lends it to it. I don't consider myself very long but I'm not really short, so I'm kind of medium. I'm driving it pretty straight and putting pretty well.

Q. Was it Monday or Tuesday you saw it for the first time?

ZACH JOHNSON: Tuesday.

Q. Did you get an immediate feel that you might be able to do something here?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah. Well, any time you start hitting your driver well, 3 wood well off the tee box, you feel like you can do something. Yeah, I did. I felt like my caddie and I had some good game plans as far as tee shots and where to place them and what shot to hit off the tee, and then our approach shots, too, where to hit it, where not to hit it. That's key every week, but you've got to get that game plan early to feel like you can attack it on Thursday. When I only get one practice round, I've got to try to see as much as I can, take my time as much as I can and really scout the greens and scout the fairways.

You know, it's not easy to do that, but I'm used to it. I'm seeing every golf course for the first time this year with the exception of maybe a few. You know, I prefer to play a course more than once prior to the week, but at the same time, I don't have a choice. We've got a good system. It's working well for me. I've got a good system with my instructors, Mike Bender and Pat O'Brien. A lot of faith and a lot of confidence goes a long way.

Q. Are many of the courses like this on Tour where long hitters and short hitters both can play well on it?

ZACH JOHNSON: Not necessarily. There's some that are for sure, but at the same time, that is one unique feature about this golf course is it lends both sides of the spectrum. You can have a short hitter and a long hitter play well. I can name a few long hitters that definitely have an advantage and some courses where short hitters may have an advantage, too. I mean, it depends how you look at it. It depends on their game plan, too.

I mean, a lot of the longer hitters can overpower any golf course. It may not be the best approach, but they can try. It's just the opposite with short hitters, too. I hope that answers your question. Does it? Sort of?

Q. How did the Nationwide Tour help you out here?

ZACH JOHNSON: It helped me out a lot. First and foremost, how to win. I mean, that Tour, especially with its depth, is phenomenal. I think it's the second best Tour in the world, top to bottom. It gets a lot of credit but it doesn't get enough I don't think. There's a lot of guys out there you have them all, young guys, college kids coming out of college or the main Tour ranks or whatever, and then you also have the veterans who may have dropped down for a year or two, so you get the mixture of ages and talent. I mean, it's awesome.

For whatever reason, if I had to go back there, I'd go back with open arms. The people are great, camaraderie is phenomenal, the golf courses are good. It's run extremely well. It's like this, just a little lower scale. The transition was a little easier this year than it had been in the past only because it's the same mode, Monday through Sunday, just a little more people here in the crowd and different nails on the leaderboard really. Granted, the extra perks don't hurt, but there's advantages and disadvantages to both.

Q. Do you watch a lot of leaderboards and were you watching them today?

ZACH JOHNSON: I glanced, but subconsciously I'm really not thinking about it too much. That's probably a good thing. I'm not very superstitious, but I glance at them every now and then. That's the best way I can answer that question. On the weekend I'll probably look at it more. It's not going to change my game plan.

Q. You didn't know if you were in the lead or not on your last hole?

ZACH JOHNSON: No, I had no idea. I saw Fred was at 8 under. Actually I thought he played in the morning, but there you go (laughter). That shows how much I know.

Q. What did winning Bell South do for you in particular?

ZACH JOHNSON: Well, first and foremost, it proved that I could win. I'd say number two, right alongside that, having good faith in God and seeing what he can do is amazing. That, and it gave me the recognition and realization that I'm doing the right things. I've got a good foundation and a good system, both on and off the golf course, my fundamentals, my family life. Everything is set decent. It's been that's a lot of confidence, knowing that you're doing the right things.

Everybody asks me what did Bell South do for you after, and it was, it was the best experience I've had and the biggest highlight of my career, but at the same time I liked my life before that. The only thing that's really changed is from a security and stability standpoint, my career. I've got a couple years' exemption out here and I'm going to try to get better.

LAURY LIVSEY: You started out par, par, then you bogeyed 12. Can we talk about your card.

ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah. I missed about a five , six footer for par there, just a bad putt, pulled it. Had it read correct, though.

Birdied 13, didn't hit a great drive. I hit a really good second shot, but I hit a good wedge to about six feet, and I bet I putted three feet of break. It broke a ton. I don't know how I made that to be honest with you. It was a good start to momentum, though.

Short par 4, 15, I hit a decent drive, pushed it a little right and was about pin high right side of the green, chipped it up to about two and a half, three feet, and a straight putt, knocked it in.

18, I hit a really good drive, decent second shot. We thought there was more wind. A little short, probably about 25 feet. We had a curler there. I felt like I picked up one there.

Birdied 2, 11th hole, hit a good tee shot, 3 wood, then knocked a sand wedge to about two feet, two and a half feet probably. Did the same thing yesterday. Yesterday's was probably shorter than two feet. I like that hole.

No. 4, I hit a good drive in the middle and then hit a 9 iron to about five feet, straight putt, knocked it in.

And No. 8, I hit we were in between clubs, so I just hit a smooth 5 to I'd say probably 15 feet, I don't know, 16 feet maybe, and had a good read on it, fortunately it went in.

Q. How far would you say 9 was?

ZACH JOHNSON: Probably about 20, plus or minus. Yeah, 20 feet.

Q. Did you have the lead at any point in Atlanta until the end?

ZACH JOHNSON: I had the lead going into the weekend actually.

Q. 36 hole lead?

ZACH JOHNSON: And 54. I know I had the 54 hole lead.

LAURY LIVSEY: 54 for sure, I think.

ZACH JOHNSON: 54 for sure. I had the charity bonus thing. I think I had it at 36, too, but I'm not positive. No, I did. I know I did. Well, I'm pretty sure.

LAURY LIVSEY: Thanks, Zach. Appreciate you coming in.

ZACH JOHNSON: Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts.

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