Johnson fine flying under radar following major win
British Open champ playing alongside McIlroy, Spieth on Thursday
sheboygan, wis.» Zach Johnson is looking for his second straight major victory at the PGA Championship.
The British Open champion still might have the least intriguing story line in his opening-round threesome when the tournament begins Thursday at Whistling Straits.
He might not even be the biggest draw among players named Johnson.
Fans will surely flock around the first tee to watch Rory McIlroy, the world’s No. 1 player, return from an ankle injury. Joining McIlroy and Johnson will be Jordan Spieth, who won the Masters and U.S. Open. Spieth is about as big a name as there is these days in the game.
Bring on the crowds.
“I embrace that. To me, the more the merrier,” Johnson said Tuesday.
What Johnson is trying to accomplish this week is rare. Winning the final two majors of the year has been done six times dating to the start of the Masters in 1934, and four times in the last 15 years. McIlroy accomplished the feat last season.
“To me, it’s just a great opportunity, that’s all,” Johnson said. “I’m excited about Thursday and Friday. I get to play with two good friends.”
It’s a threesome comprised of the winners of the last five majors.
Yet Dustin Johnson is getting more attention than Zach.
The PGA Championship is at Whistling Straits for the first time since 2010, when Dustin Johnson drew a two-shot penalty on the final hole after grounding his 4-iron in the sand to the right of the fairway, not aware he was in a bunker. He had a one-shot lead at the time.
Johnson missed a 7-foot par putt to slip into a playoff — until the penalty dropped him into fifth.
Zach Johnson was asked about that, too, on Tuesday. They had neighboring lockers.
“I consoled him the best I could. What do you say? He was upset, clearly, as he should be. But his attitude was actually pretty good,” he said.
The leader in driving distance, Dustin Johnson has had at least a share of the lead in four rounds at the majors this year. His game makes him a contender at Whistling Straits.
But Zach Johnson is proof that it’s not just about length off the tee.