Zach Johnson feeling good entering PGA Championship

Zach Johnson heads into this week’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club feeling good about his game.

Though he missed the cut in two of his last three starts at the Masters and Wells Fargo — and withdrew from the RBC Heritage due to a viral illness — he’s feeling rested and ready for another major.

“Everything’s good, my game right now is probably going to rely more on scoring, so getting up and down when you’ve got to, making the crucial putts,” Johnson said. “I would say more than anything, too, whatever’s between my ears so I’m understanding that it’s a process.”

In Johnson’s last start on the PGA Tour in the Wells Fargo Championship, he missed the cut by four shots. This is another difficult course he faces this week.

“... I’m going to take it like any other tournament that I play in, just in the mere sense that I’ve been eligible for every major since 2004,” Johnson said, exhaling in apparent amazement. “I shouldn’t deviate away from what’s worked since 2004.

“I guess the nice thing is there will be some familiarity with the facility and the course. I haven’t seen it since 2007 and the changes that have been made since.”

What Johnson does remember from 2007 was the immense heat and humidity in the 100s that week in August (that was before the major changed to May in 2019).

“It was the hottest week of my entire life. No question,” Johnson said with conviction. “I think most of my peers would say the same thing. No wind, it was brutal.”

Temperatures look to head into the 90s for the first two days this week in Tulsa. And to go with the heat, it’s a good thing Johnson also appears to be healed up from a slight back issue from earlier this spring.

“I had a minor back issue and it’s a lot better as of late,” he said. “My game is feeling very good and now I feel a lot better.”