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At age 49, Cedar Rapids’ Zach Johnson shoots his lowest Masters score with a 66
Johnson had an eagle and six birdies for his 6-under round Saturday that moved him into a tie for 10th place entering Sunday’s final round
Apr. 12, 2025 1:50 pm, Updated: Apr. 14, 2025 8:50 am
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In his 21st Masters and 65th competitive round at Augusta National Golf Club, Zach Johnson posted his lowest score there Saturday with a 6-under par 66.
The 49-year-old Cedar Rapids native eagled the second hole with a 41-foot putt, but was just 1-under through the first eight holes before he unleashed six birdies between the 9th and 16th holes. He bogeyed No. 17.
Johnson shot 72-74 the first two rounds to finish on the 36-hole cut line of 2-over 146. He now stands at 4-under, tied for 10th place and eight shots behind leader Rory McIlroy. Johnson and McIlroy tied for Saturday’s low round at 66. No one else shot better than 69.
The 2007 Masters champion had never shot lower than 68 in the tournament. He did that once in 2008, and in back-to-back rounds in 2015. His best round in winning the tourney, played that year in cold and windy conditions, was 69.
Johnson’s lone Top Ten finish after his 2007 win was a tie for ninth in 2015. He is a 12-time PGA Tour winner, with his last victory the 2015 Open Championship.
"Today was an extreme example of the fruits of my labor showing up," Johnson said after the round. “I've seen the work and the results of hitting the face and seeing the line on putts,“ Johnson said after the round. ”Not this week, but weeks prior I've seen it.
"It just hasn't showed. My hope is that it continues to show, one, but two, I've always modeled my game after guys before me and guys that are consistent. I don't know if today is a flash, but today was, for lack of a better term, a stroll in the park. I didn't feel like it was work.
“I loved making the weekend. I guess it's been a couple years. I think I made it two years ago, so it's not like it's that foreign. But man, I was in control.
"This place can bring out the absolute best in someone. When you're engulfed by the magnolias, something just hits you.
"I don't hit the ball far enough to compete on some of these venues, but it doesn't mean I can't have a decent finish. It doesn't mean I can't make cuts. It doesn't mean I can't still do it."
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