Zach Johnson fired a second consecutive 69 on Friday and looks to be on the right side of the cutline at the John Deere Classic at 4 under, although a number of players didn’t finish their second round due to a lengthy rain delay.
And while Johnson certainly hopes to get closer to leader J.T. Poston this weekend, many of the questions he fielded on Friday were about his victory at the 2015 British Open, when the American captured the title in a four-hole aggregate playoff, outlasting South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen and Australia’s Marc Leishman.
When it was over and he had been declared the Champion Golfer of the Year, Johnson took the Claret Jug on a victory lap down the 18th fairway of the Old Course at St. Andrews. He did so along the streetside, high-fiving fans and allowing them to touch one of the most treasured trophies in all of sports.
It was a fitting tribute from Johnson, who declared himself “just a normal guy from Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” when he shocked the world by winning his first major, the Masters, in 2007.
But while the masses saw him enjoy the victory with fans at St. Andrews, what many don’t know is how the 12-time PGA Tour winner celebrated with the esteemed hardware when he returned to American soil.
United States’ Zach Johnson celebrates with members of the public as he holds the trophy after winning a playoff after the final round at the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Monday, July 20, 2015.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
He opened up about the topic on Friday after the second round in Silvis, Illinois.
“I got in the wee hours the morning that next day. I landed in Jacksonville, about an hour from my house,” Johnson said. “Got into St. Simons, where I live and met some buddies with my wife, with the Claret Jug and some friends and no one else at Waffle House at 4 a.m. That was awesome.”
Johnson elaborated on the experience, noting that it was made more significant by the time he got to spend with…
Source : yahoo
