Monday was nerve-racking for Zach Johnson’s parents

Zach Johnson's parents worked at their jobs on Monday. It may not have been the most-productive days of their careers, but they tried.

While the final round of the British Open was underway, Julie Johnson was at her Cedar Rapids office of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque. Dr. David Johnson was seeing patients at Chiropractic Health Care Associates in Cedar Rapids.

That didn't mean they shut out the big, and eventually happy noise coming from Scotland as their oldest child got his second major tournament triumph.

'All the patients were interested with me,” Dave said, 'so they didn't seem to mind. And I was still able to focus pretty well on my patients.”

But he called it a day at 12:30 p.m. and caught the remainder of the tourney, including the four-hole playoff, from home.

'It was not a typical Monday in that we had the television on, which was unusual,” Julie said.

'I tried to work, so I kind of went back and forth between the TV and my office. The playoff itself, I didn't watch all of it. I was really too nervous. So I went away to pray.

'But then I came back for the very end of it.”

The Johnsons, and son Gabe (who lives in South Carolina) and daughter Maria (who lives in Iowa) experienced life as immediate family of a national sports star when Zach won the Masters in 2007, and think everyone in the family will have a better handle on the fallout from Monday's championship.

'I think emotionally, it's not going to be as surreal for everybody,” Dave said. 'The Masters was just his second (PGA Tour) win. Now he's been through Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups and all that relating to playing for his country. Then there's the additional wins (Johnson has 12 career Tour victories) since then.”

Julie said Monday afternoon that her phone and Facebook page was predictably clogged with congratulatory messages.

'I did immediately talk to our daughter and our son in South Carolina, and my sister,” Julie said. 'You have to share it with those you love.”

A lot of people in Cedar Rapids and all over Iowa were loving Johnson's win Monday.

'Manchester claims him, too,” Dave Johnson said. He and his wife were raised there, and Zach's grandmother, Maxine Johnson, lives there.

'He was born in Iowa City,” Dave said. 'A Hawkeye (fan), a Drake Bulldog, he just loves the state. He feels the love. Some players on Tour kid him about all those fans shouting out Iowa cheers at him wherever they go. Go Hawks, Go Bulldogs, Go Regis Royals. He loves it.

'And they all have a right to be proud.”