"Boring" style marks Johnson out as Celtic Manor natural
Rock-steady Zach Johnson takes great pride in playing "boring golf", an attribute which could make him one of the trump cards for the United States at the Ryder Cup.
|Last Updated: Sep 29, 2010, 07:57 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Wales:Rock-steady Zach Johnson takes great pride in playing "boring golf", an attribute which could make him one of the trump cards for the United States at the Ryder Cup.
The former U.S. Masters champion is one of the straightest hitters in the game and is expected to play in all five matches this week on a rain-sodden Celtic Manor layout where the rough is thick and long.
"My game is fairly obvious," Johnson told reporters on Wednesday as rain pounded the roof of the media centre by the first tee. "It`s not that flashy. It`s pretty boring. I prefer boring golf.
"I drive the ball pretty straight, hit my irons pretty straight on the green, make a few putts and my short game is decent."
Johnson`s accurate game would appear to be ideally suited to the Twenty Ten course where rain has been forecast for the first and third days of competition on Friday and Sunday."The rough here is very thick and it`s penal but I don`t mind that," the 34-year-old said.
"Am I a good wet weather player? I`m very familiar with it. On tour we are in (weather) delays all the time."
Johnson made his only previous Ryder Cup appearance at the K Club in Ireland in 2006 when appalling wet weather was a significant factor before Europe won the trophy for a third successive time.
"That year the Europeans made a lot of putts, and putts when they needed them, and that`s really what it boiled down to," said Johnson, who won his only major title at the 2007 Masters.
"It certainly didn`t work in our favour unfortunately but we have a different team this year."
Johnson`s own putting has been highly touted by no less a figure than world number one and Ryder Cup team mate Tiger Woods.
"I`ve heard Tiger say that," Johnson said. "I think I am a pretty good putter, I`m not going to deny that. I think I`ve made a lot of pretty big putts."
Johnson, who won his seventh PGA Tour title at the Colonial tournament in May, especially relished the challenge of putting with a tournament or a matchplay victory on the line.
"Coming down the stretch I prefer putting the pressure on my putter," he said. "I like that. I want that. It doesn`t matter the length. It doesn`t matter the situation.
"If pressure can be put on my putter, I don`t say I like my chances but I certainly relish that opportunity."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.