42nd at Masters, but Zach Johnson's future still bright

So, this wasn't 2007 for Zach Johnson.

The weather was way nicer this year than when he won the Masters here at Augusta National three years ago, but things were a little too dry for the Cedar Rapids native. Outside of two visits to Rae's Creek, anyhow.

Johnson went 35 straight holes without a birdie before getting consecutive ones at the 14th and 15th holes Sunday, and he never made a substantially long putt after Thursday's first round.

Double bogeys at 12 and 13, both featuring balls hit into the most famous creek in golf history, helped ugly up his Sunday score. He had a 3-over-par 75 for a total of 7-over 295, for a 42nd-place finish.

In his two previous post-victory appearances here, Johnson tied for 20th and missed the cut.

From tee to green, he wasn't much off his 2007 form when he won with a total of 1-over. But the cashing of birdie opportunities simply never happened much after the first round, when he shot a 70.

“My game's good, my game's fine,” Johnson insisted after his round Sunday. “It's just a matter of executing and remaining in my process.

“I've got to get all the emotion out of golf, just be very apathetic toward each shot, each round, each day.”

What that means, one could surmise, is that he's been pressing. After nine top-ten finishes in 2009, Johnson is without one this season. His often golden putting touch hasn't been there of late.

But the year proceeds. Johnson will be busy the rest of this spring. He'll drive three hours from here to Hilton Head Island, S.C. for the PGA Tour event there this week.

He'll also have the Players Championship in May, a defense of his two straight titles at the Texas Open in San Antonio the week after that, and three straight weeks of competition before the U.S. Open in Pebble Beach, Calif., in mid-June.

“I'm trying to play the week before the majors with the exception of this week (at the Masters),” Johnson said. “I've played the week before the British Open and typically felt good going into the British Open. I've played the week before the PGA and typically felt good about the PGA, and I've had some decent finishes in both of those.

“I've not had a very good U.S. Open, so I want to see what happens if I play the week before that (in Memphis).”