Remarks from Zach Johnson, 2010 and 2012 Champ
Q. Zach, two-time champion at a golf course that you love. Just talk about being back at Colonial.
ZACH JOHNSON: It's almost like a quasi home for me on the PGA TOUR. Starting with the golf course, one of my loves, of course. The history behind it certainly is always mentioned with the wall and obviously Hogan and everything that goes along with that.
But you go down to the people and the membership in particular. I've got some great friends here, so they've -- you know, seems like they always want us to come back and encourage us to come back and it's easy to come back.
Happy for them that they got a new sponsor starting next year.
Q. Specifically what about the course do you like and what kind of player do you think it suits?
ZACH JOHNSON: I mean, we've seen everybody win here. We've seen the guys that kind of plot their way around; the guys that can overpower places, too.
I think first of all it requires patience more than anything. You can get after every hole, especially if the wind is benign. I think more than anything what it requires is keeping the golf course in front of you. You got to play the hole backwards.
It is one where the fairways are a premium; the rough can be difficult, especially from a control standpoint.
And then when the greens get firm, which is occasionally, this place can be pretty trying.
Q. It's been 65 years since somebody has defended their title here. Ben Hogan was the last to do it. Any thoughts on why?
ZACH JOHNSON: Oh, just depth and talent at this point. I mean, I can't speak on behalf of that generation back in the day. There are just so many good players here week in and week out.
Doesn't surprise me if anybody in the field wins for the most part. Everybody is hungry, everybody is working, and there is just talent through and through.
Q. Going along with your first answer, driving accuracy is more important than distance on a course like this. Talk about your strategy.
ZACH JOHNSON: Yeah, the fairways typically run here. I mean, right now it's green, got a little bit of rain, but as the week goes on -- in the forecast there is not a whole lot precipitation forecasted, so, you know, you play the release, that's difficult.
So as a result, when the fairways become faster and firmer, the whole golf course shrinks and becomes tighter and much more difficult.
So it's a club selection; it's a spin selection; it's a spot selection, whether it's fade or draw; commitment; like I said, patience.
It just becomes harder. We've seen 20-under win here and we've seen like 9. Just depends on the elements.
Q. Just real quick, why do you think it's hard for guys to repeat? Here we haven't had -- oh, sorry. Same question?
ZACH JOHNSON: Well, yeah, I just answered that. Well, my answer - I'll try to reiterate - was one of the first things that stands out is there are just so many good players, so much talent. Talking about 365 days prior to the -- you know, a year from the previous -- it's just different. Things change.
The talent is just so deep. And then I obviously can't speak on the generation in the '60s. I didn't participate then. I don't know what the talent was like from top to bottom.
Q. Would you enjoy seeing more courses like this where you have to be more accurate?
ZACH JOHNSON: 100%. 100%. Yes, all the way through.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Rev #1 by #179 at 2018-05-22 17:24:00 GMT
