What they said: Zach Johnson

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SONY OPEN AT HAWAII: Transcript archive

MARK WILLIAMS: Zach Johnson, defending champion Sony Open in Hawaii. Thank you for joining us. Obviously, you played last week, first one of the season, talk about the state of your game and how things are looking for you coming into this week.

ZACH JOHNSON: Yes, I feel great. I feel great coming back here to a place that certainly I have great memories, not to distant memories. My game feels great. I played quite a bit the end of the fall into December, so I feel the competitive mode that I think is needed in this game, especially at this level, is still there. I think fundamentally I'm pretty good. I'm not overly that fresh because of that, but I'm going to take some time off after after this.

But, yes, I feel great. Last week was probably more positive than negatives, certainly on the weekend, from a golf standpoint. This course, right here, is all I want, I just love it.

MARK WILLIAMS: When you say taking some time off, what would be your next start

ZACH JOHNSON: As of right now, we're planning on playing Tucson after this. The latter part of February, I guess it is. I'm trying to take four weeks off and stay at home and be with family.

Q. Did you do that last year?

ZACH JOHNSON: No, I did that two years ago. LA is hard to take off. I just think it's the best thing I'm going to do now. I've talked to a lot of my counsel on that, and that's kind of how we are pointing at right now. I really want to hit the early part of spring hard. I don't think I can hit it hard if I don't take that time off. I learned a lot in on '08. '08, I took four weeks off in a row and I also took six weeks off. Not '08, sorry. I don't know when I took four weeks. It might have been '06, or '05. I don't even know. I took six weeks off in '08 at the end of the year, and I came back and I was I don't have the itch to play very often and I had it. So I'm hoping I get that itch. You are really thinking right now.

Q. I was thinking if it was '07 that might have worked out well for you.

ZACH JOHNSON: Yes, it wasn't '07.

Q. Strike everything.

ZACH JOHNSON: I played Maui, Sony and then took four weeks off. I was able to play LA, and I was able to play Match Play. So I took a lot.

Q. There was a lot of talk last week that you were one of the few players in the field that had a game that was suited for over there and yet suited for over here, do you feel that way?

ZACH JOHNSON: No, I certainly think the latter. I don't know if my game is necessarily that suited for over there. If they said that, you know, anybody can play anywhere. I agree with that. Any given week, any player can play well and win. Last week was a course where I think it really paid dividends, if you could carry the ball a long ways.

I played well there the previous there. I played well there for two rounds, I just got hot with the putter. I hit it good. I'm not saying I hit it bad. I probably hit it almost as good this year. I putted okay and I finished like Top 20, 17 or 18. I don't even know what I finished.

So I think my game is definitely more suited for this week. This week is a week it's a classic golf course, the fairways are a premium, the greens are not overly big, they're holding right now, they can get firm. And everything comes down to the flat stick, so, in my opinion, this is more my type of golf course.

Q. What do you work on? Golf has such a short off season you talk about the competitive mode?

ZACH JOHNSON: My off season work is probably going to start after this week. I implemented part of our attack in December. But I was also competing, so it was more difficult to do so.

Q. What's the other half of that, or the other parts of it?

ZACH JOHNSON: Well, what I'm implementing is, I'm going to be more focused on my drills. So starting on Tuesday, Tuesday through Friday, I know what I'm going to do. From a practice standpoint, given the conditions, and given consistent time, before I even get out there, we've narrowed my goals down to a point where I know what drills we think we know what drills I can do to help improve the stats that are going to help elevate my game. Those are my goals. My goals are not to win. That kind of goes without saying.

Why would I even think of outcome or goals? I feel like if I get into those goals, goals that I can't really control, then I go astray. So I'm trying to stay more on a process oriented goals versus the outcome oriented goals.

Q. It's about your game as opposed to results?

ZACH JOHNSON: Exactly. The results are not an issue. They were at one time. You got the shirt on. That Ryder Cup in '06, even though I got on the team, I was leaking oil coming in because I wanted to make it so bad. Rather than focusing on the process.

Q. Right. You mentioned that last week as you are trying to make the team.

ZACH JOHNSON: I'm sorry, my comments are generic. They are very cliche, and I'll probably say them next week, too, if I was playing next week.

Q. By the way, are you defending this week?

ZACH JOHNSON: No, I'm not. According to my sports psychologist I'm defending nothing. I'm going to go play golf this week. Last year is last year.

Q. Your first win was Atlanta?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yep.

Q. In '05?

ZACH JOHNSON: '04.

Q. I'm curious, when you had your media day for the BellSouth Classic, I think it was called that, or AT&T whatever it is, did you go back to Atlanta for that?

ZACH JOHNSON: I have been there twice. I don't think they ever wanted me to come back. I really don't know how to take that now that I've said that. I think it was just more, you know, like a teleconference. The week of the tournament I did some things. I did some things for BethSouth and then AT&T after that. Certainly the hospital there, I made a visit there every year.

Q. I wouldn't suggest you would ever do anything to slack off a sponsor. Years and years and years ago, when you were still in college, there used to be a thing where the defending champ would come to town, they would have a big day?

ZACH JOHNSON: I'm going to do that in San Antonio.

Q. You are doing it?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yes, we haven't set a date, but it's going to happen.

Q. I wonder if you can speak to, practically speaking, it's travel arrangements and things likes that, is there any value of someone going back for the day to promote the tournament as opposed to not at all?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yes, I think so. Given the environment we are in, especially, the sponsors really want to see the hands on approach, and that's as tangible as it gets as far as I'm concerned, when you get your defending champion coming back to give them half a day, or whatever they request, I won't say it's crucial, but I think it's important. I think it's a nice gesture.

Plus in '08 when I won San Antonio, you know, '09, the date moved, there was no time with The Masters. I couldn't get back there for it. So I'm determined to get to San Antonio prior to the event.

I'm saying this, but I know a lot of my peers are doing the same thing. I know Kenny has already been to Phoenix, or is going to Phoenix for the FBR. Probably a number of other guys are doing the same thing.

Q. Geoff went to Tucson yesterday?

Geoff went to Tucson. I know Brian Gay went to Hilton Head at the end of the year

Q. Like a charity day?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yes, it could be charity driven event to go see your charity. It could be golf. It could be just a major conference, whatever, press conference.

Last year in San Antonio, because I couldn't get back there, we decided that Tuesday of San Antonio, I went to downtown San Antonio, I really didn't do anything. I just spoke for about 5 minutes. We cut the ribbons, the new first tee at San Antonio. They call it golf San Antonio erected. Things like that. That goes a long ways, especially when you have a have Valero person there, or a Verizon person there, or an FBR person there, I think that's awesome.

Q. You didn't go to Augusta for your conference call?

ZACH JOHNSON: No, no, I didn't.

Q. I know last week was your season opener, this was the first full field event, is there a different feel like the season is really starting?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yes, it kind of feels like the first day of school, like my wife says, or the first week of school, I guess. You see some new faces that transferred in, that sort of thing. You see a lot of families and friends, players that you hadn't seen since middle of the fall. Yes, it's the first week back. It's kind of nice.

Q. Not that last week was terrible?

ZACH JOHNSON: No, last week was awesome. Both weeks are awesome.

Q. Have you seen Daly lately?

ZACH JOHNSON: John?

Q. Yes.

ZACH JOHNSON: I have not seen him.

Q. You didn't see him today either?

ZACH JOHNSON: No.

Q. He is skinnier than you are?

ZACH JOHNSON: Are you serious?

Q. Close.

ZACH JOHNSON: Are you saying he is getting skinnier or are you saying that I'm fat.

Q. No, he is losing.

ZACH JOHNSON: I'm glad he is here. Actually I didn't know he was playing, so that's great.

Q. 190 he said?

ZACH JOHNSON: My goodness. I bet he looks good.

Q. Different.

ZACH JOHNSON: That's great. Does he have a sponsor exemption?

Q. Yes, exemption?

ZACH JOHNSON: That's great. I love John. John was my neighbor on the road for years.

Q. In the bus?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yes. I'm glad he is back and healthy.

Q. Do you still have the bus?

ZACH JOHNSON: We still technically own the bus, yes.

Q. Do you?

ZACH JOHNSON: We still have the bus. No, we don't. We are taking a hiatus from Gus junior the bus for the year just to kind of reevaluate the end of the year. There is so many positives to it, but we've had some issues with it, so nothing overly bad.

My dad is here. He can speak on that. We've got some stinky issues. When it's up and running, I may have told you this, when it's up and running and everything is hooked up, and you are near on site. I mean, every tournament goes out of their way, and designates a person, or maybe two people to help us, so it's perfect. When it's up and running it's great, cause it's like your own little home. When it's not, it's a headache.

MARK WILLIAMS: We appreciate you coming in.

ZACH JOHNSON: My pleasure, thanks, guys.