Zach Johnson avoids being paired with Tiger Woods

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- For weeks, people have wondered who would be the two "lucky" souls to be paired with Tiger Woods in the first two rounds of the Masters.

If you don't mind having many more times the fan-following than normal, you like playing with Woods. On Sunday at the Masters, it's inevitably a good thing. It means you began the final round in contention. On Thursday and Friday ... maybe not so good. A lot of distractions.

Well, Zach Johnson is one who escaped the white-hot spotlight in Rounds 1 and 2. Johnson's tee times are 11:25 a.m. (Iowa time) Thursday and 8:29 a.m. Friday. His playing partners are Henrik Stenson and Chang-won Han.

Woods goes off five groups after Johnson's. He is paired with PGA Tour regulars Matt Kuchar and K.J. Choi. They are the next-to-last threesome to tee off on Thursday.

Stenson is no stranger to golf fans. He won The Players Championship last year, and is ranked 15th in the world. Johnson is 30th.

Han is an 18-year-old from South Korea who qualified for the Masters by virtue of winning last year's inaugural Asian Amateur Championship. He won by five strokes over a field of 115 others from 30 countries.

Han will have to serve two years of manadatory military service at some point. I've heard some people say the U.S. should do the same thing. People say a lot of things.

I just got done with an interview with Johnson outside the Augusta National clubhouse for a column I'll have here later this afternoon. He said though recent results don't show it, his game is in good form and he feels good about this week's tournament. Golfers aren't given to say such things unless they believe them.