After winless year, Johnson looks to regroup for 2012

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Damon Green and Zach Johnson have been together nearly a decade on the PGA TOUR.

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- You can count on two fingers the number of players who won at least one PGA TOUR event a season during the four-year stretch from 2007-2010.

Most will get the first answer -- Phil Mickelson, who has won at least once each of the last eight seasons. The other answer isn't as obvious. And no, it's not Tiger Woods, who failed to win in 2010 after averaging 6.2 victories the previous five years.

Hint: The other guy has a Green Jacket in his closet and has played on two Ryder Cup and two Presidents Cup teams.

Give up? The answer is 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson, who despite his seven career PGA TOUR titles -- six from 2007-2010 -- and more than $21 million in earnings tends to run under the radar of most fans.

"We know how good he is," Rocco Mediate said of Johnson. "He won the freakin' Masters, so what else do you need to say? But I will say this: If you can find a better guy, let me see him. Zach is class through and through."

Johnson was unable to extend his victory streak to five this year, though he teamed with Matt Kuchar to win the unofficial CVS Caremark Charity Classic in June. Johnson's best official finish was a tie for third at the John Deere Classic. He had four top 10s and finished 40th in the FedExCup standings. Johnson reflected on his season Monday prior to teaming with Jerry Kelly to win the ADT Skills Challenge at The Breakers.

"I didn't have a great year, but I feel good about where things are going," Johnson said. "I'm never content regardless of where I finish. There were some positives, but there are also some things I'd like to polish up."

Johnson will have his own year-in-review later this week when he sits down with his "team" that includes instructor Mike Bender, caddie Damon Green, mental coach Morris Pickens, physical therapist Marc Wahl and trainer Chris Noss. They will analyze everything from Johnson's body fat to his bunker game.

"We're going to re-hash this year and set goals for next year," Johnson said.

And how does Johnson measure success in a sport where, by definition, only one guy out of 144 leaves a tournament with the trophy?

"Just improvement in all aspects of my game, on and off the golf course," he said. "There are a lot of intangibles, but I like to not ever take any steps back and to improve on everything."

Johnson knows there could be major changes when he starts his ninth season on the PGA TOUR, especially with his right-hand man. Green, who has been on Johnson's bag since his rookie season, has advanced through the first stage of the Champions Tour's q-school (see the field here) and very easily could be hitting his own shots next year.

Green, who won more than 100 mini-tour events in Florida when he played for a living, qualified for this year's Senior Open Championship and finished tied for 13th at the U.S. Senior Open. Nobody has to tell Johnson about Green's abilities -- it was a major reason why he hired Green in 2003.

"He's one of those guys ... 'I'm going to do it, but I won't make it' and "If I do make it, I won't quit my day job,'" Johnson said. "I think he has as good a chance as anybody and you can't do both. I'll deal with that when the time comes. For his sake and his family, I hope I have to deal with it because he's such a good player. He just keeps making birdies.

"For me, it's nice knowing I have someone who has been in contention, who knows how to win, who knows what to say what not to day. Damon may not be the best caddie for anybody else, but he's great for me. We've been together for eight years and hopefully we get a chance to play eight more together."

While Johnson was content playing in Monday's hit-and-giggle event that included Hall of Famers Nick Price, Mark O'Meara and Annika Sorenstam (who was teamed with local star Morgan Pressel), he would have preferred to be in Australia preparing for next week's Presidents Cup. Johnson was a member the last two victorious U.S. teams, but finished 17th in the standings this year.

"It's always a big, big goal of mine to play in those things because I think those events are the best in golf," he said. "When you don't make it, it kind of stings, but it also motivates you to play harder and make the next one. I didn't make the 2008 Ryder Cup team and I played well the next two years."

While he's anxious to hear input from his confidants later this week, Johnson didn't hesitate when asked about his major goals at 35.

"I want to win more," he said.

Count on it.Craig Dolch is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.