Zach Johnson celebrates 500th TOUR start, in contention at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
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Written by Kevin Robbins
McKINNEY, Texas — Zach Johnson made his 500th start this week in a PGA TOUR career that began two decades ago. It now includes a dozen wins, with two major championships.
Past his prime? Not so fast with the age discrimination. The 48-year-old from Iowa made a push Saturday to finish inside the top 10 of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Rounds of 13-under-par 66-67-67 gave Johnson, with a sizzling putter and a sense of appreciation for his place in history, a presence high on the leaderboard for the first time this season.
The TOUR recognized Johnson for his 500th start after his Wednesday pro-am, presenting him with a platter and a cake. The Salesmanship Club of Dallas, which operates the 98-year-old tournament, gave Johnson a Stetson cowboy hat with a gold engraving noting his achievement. With his two pairs of Western boots from his Valero Texas Open titles in 2008 and 2009, Johnson could fake it as a cowboy in North Texas.
“That’s what it would be: pretending,” Johnson said. “I’m not manly enough for that stuff. But my kids love it.”
The 2023 Ryder Cup captain finished the third round at TPC Craig Ranch ranked first in Strokes Gained: Putting. He made more than 165 feet of putts Saturday, most of that over the first four holes. His play tee-to-green is keeping him in the conversation. The putter is putting him into the mix.
“My game’s been in a position to really do some damage,” Johnson said. “It just hasn’t proven yet.”
Johnson is making his first start at THE CJ CUP since the tournament moved in 2021 to TPC Craig Ranch, a big, wide park with a length of more than 7,400 yards. Days of rain softened the course considerably; the tournament has implemented lift, clean and place on the fairways through all three rounds.
Zach Johnson sticks approach to set up birdie at THE CJ CUP
Johnson said he saw a Golf Channel segment at lunch before the tournament about keys to playing the course. Distance? Not such a big deal. Proximity to the hole, scrambling and putting? Very big deals. Johnson admitted that he needs to hit the ball as long as he can — at his age — to compete.
“I think hitting fairways with ball in hand is even more important,” he added.
“I’m playing fine,” Johnson said. “I’m leaving some out there. I’m picking up a few at the same time.
“Hopefully this is a step in the right direction."