What they said: Zach Johnson

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JOHN BUSH: Zach joins us 6 under 64, no bogeys on the card. Zach, rounds like that are always nice.

ZACH JOHNSON: Yes, I certainly don't dislike those. I've had two of those this week. Getting one on Saturday is always nice and making some putts is always a nice day. I haven't had a low putting round, but that's because I'm hitting a lot of greens. I gave myself a lot of opportunities which is all you can ask for. Today I fortunately made a few

JOHN BUSH: We will go into questions for Zach.

Q. Zach, this seem likes a perfect course for you. Are you surprised that you haven't maybe had more success here over the years and this is more of the round that you would expect?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yes, I think it is a good golf course for me. I think it does require more of a trajectory control and more of a straight shot, nothing that's overly powerful.

We have seen all sorts of champions here in the past, so I don't know. A lot of guys are hitting irons off the tee, too.

With these bent grass greens, and very hot humid conditions at times, the greens are very receptable and very peer (phonetic) 2.

Sl they are soft and rolling well. The fairways still have a little bit humidity excuse me, the humidity has added moisture to the fairways, so they're not releasing a whole lot. There is minimal wind. All of that compounded adds to pretty low scoring conditions which is very evident.

Q. Have you run across a year like this here before where we've had that kind of a happy convergence of no wind and pristine conditions, it's kind of rare, isn't it?

ZACH JOHNSON: I do remember one year in the past. I missed one or two years. I know my sister got married one or two years ago, so I had to miss it. There is one year. It's rare. It's Texas.

I was here the Monday of San Antonio from Dallas for a charity event, actually Ben Crane's charity event, and I think it was blowing 30's gusting to 40's. So it's hit and miss. It's Texas.

Q. I believe your putting Coach is Pat O'Bryan (phonetic), have you been working with him recently? When was the last time you worked with him and what are you working on?

ZACH JOHNSON: It's continuous. It's work in progress all the time. He is obviously a Dallas guy. I saw him a lot this week. I actually had dinner with him last night. We haven't done anything this week to be honest with you. Maybe a little bit yesterday. It was more kind of a feeling standpoint. Not mental. But, yes, more mental than anything. Not technical. Just trying to let it happen.

I've hit a lot of greens. I've essentially missed I putted on the fringe on 3 on the first day, and I marked my ball every other hole, so I hit 17 greens.

The next day I think I missed one or two. And I missed maybe 3 today.

I'm getting the putter in my hands a lot. It gets frustrating because you give yourself so many opportunities and you miss some.

I made two bogeys all week and they were 3 putts. One from like five feet.

My putting is fine. My ball striking is obviously good.

Pat and I have done some good work in the past and recent.

JOHN BUSH: Stat wise Zach is first in greens in regulation and second in fairways hit this week.

ZACH JOHNSON: Who is beating me in fairways?

JOHN BUSH: I don't have that

ZACH JOHNSON: Recheck that.

(Laughter).

JOHN BUSH: Probably Boo.

Questions?

Q. The Ryder Cup is such a big deal for you, do you find you put pressure on yourself in a Ryder Cup year to succeed?

ZACH JOHNSON: No, not anymore. I kind of learned my lesson in '04, and I didn't have a chance to make the team. No, I didn't have a chance. '05 I had a chance to make the President's Cup team. I put a little pressure myself. '06 I made the Ryder Cup team. I think I finished 8th or 9th. I stayed there for like a month or two coming in. I was treading water. I was too concerned about it.

You know, the old cliche, just worry about the day, worry about the week. It holds true when it comes to those cups.

And as a result I played in 3. One Ryder Cup. Yes, it's a goal, but it's kind of one of those goals that comes along with getting your job done. It's icing on the cake. It is truly probably the best experience I've had in the game of golf and I hope I have more.

But, you know, there is a lot of good players on this American team, American citizens on TOUR. I just got to take care of my own business.

Q. Zach, obviously you closed out a Masters and won that. Some of the guys ahead of you there will be trying to win for the first time on the PGA TOUR tomorrow. Do you think that gives you any kind of an edge, or will get into some other people's psyches with your pedigree versus theirs?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yes, I have been there. I've been in contention a fair number of times. It's really going to draw on some of those thoughts and feelings. Now, the guys that haven't won that are on the leaderboard, I can't think of them, I haven't looked at the board. But I mean they are professionals. If they haven't won on this TOUR, they probably won on another Tour. If they haven't won on another Tour, they certainly won in college and have a lot of accolades. It's not like they don't know how to play.

Q. (Inaudible)?

ZACH JOHNSON: Yes, I'm going to certainly rely on some of those feelings and memories, whether or not it helps me more than someone that hasn't won I have no idea. Sometimes a guy that, you know, is fighting for his first win is pretty lethal. I don't know if it's that big of an advantage, but I certainly think looking at my previous wins I always remembered what I was doing on Sunday with the other ones. So if I have a chance, great.

JOHN BUSH: Let's go through the card real quick. Birdie on No. 1.

ZACH JOHNSON: 1, I hit a good drive, decent second shot, 2 putted from 35, 40 feet probably.

7, I hit a 3 wood down the fairway. I hit an 8 iron. The ball is going so far. I hit it 170 yards to the pin. I think I hit it just short of that. I made a good putt there. I made about a 20 footer there.

12, another good drive, I hit a wedge to about 6, seven feet and hit a really solid putt there.

13, was a good number. It was like 194. That's typically a nice 5 iron, but the ball is going so far again. I hit just a good 6, had about 15 feet below the hole. I was able to knock that in.

16, I had a perfect club. It's one of those situations where I didn't have to half swing it, or hit it hard, I hit a normal 7 iron 179. It landed 178 and made about a six footer there for birdie.

18, good drive there and a wedge to four feet, actually it said four feet, four inches on the scoreboard. Left edge putt and it dropped.

JOHN BUSH: All right. Thanks for coming by. Play well tomorrow.