“My Son’s Best Friend Is A Freak” – Zach Johnson Stunned By Quality Of Rising Golf Stars

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2025 Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson has revealed he’s blown away by the talent of the next generation – singling out one young player as “a freak”… who also happens to be his son’s best friend.

Johnson made the comments ahead of the John Deere Classic and also spoke about his own future plans, hinting at what might be next after he turns 50.

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champion of the John Deere Classic, Zack Johnson, to the interview room. You’re making your 23rd start here, this five more than any player on tour since 2002. What does that mean to you and what’s it like being back here? Um, wow, that’s hard to summarize. Um, well, just to come back, it it means it’s it’s like coming to it’s like coming it’s like going home like uh in a lot of respects. I I obviously I travel for my living. Um I mean not as much as I once did, but I’m I’m still pursuing this at a pretty high rate. And it’s, you know, it’s always nice to go home. And so when I can come back to the Quad Cities, come back to uh this event, an event that um is all the cliches near and dear to my heart. Um I love it. Uh I love everything about it and it starts with just kind of getting in the area then you know getting situated at the hotel and then coming to these grounds. So um did a thing with John Deere last night at the headquarters like that. It just just felt like I was you know rubbing shoulders, shaking hands with friends that I’ve known forever and a lot of respects that’s true. So um yeah I mean that it’s it’s it’s pretty awesome. 22nd we say 23rd 23rd 23rd start. Yeah. I mean that that’s that’s if you’d asked me that 25 years ago I would have been speechless. Um so I don’t I don’t take that for granted. Um it’s amazing. I mean I I love every aspect of this and starting with the people and uh ending with the golf. Awesome. All right. We’ll open it up to questions. If you have a question, just raise your hand and we’ll get a mic over to you. We’ll start over here on the left. You played 22 23 straight now, but you’ve made 16 straight cuts here. What is it about this golf course that you feel like fits your game? Uh, well, um, I I would say number one, it’s just the turf, you know, like my feet just feel That’s going to sound strange, but my feet just feel comfortable here. Um, I mean, I grew up on bent grass fairways. I grew up on bent grass greens. Um, I had a lengthy putting session yesterday and it kind of just I’m not suggesting I’m going to putt great this week, but it it just felt like man here we go. Like it just it it’s hard to really summarize that, but um I mean I’m I’m experienced. I I know the golf course. I know where I know where not to go given the conditions. I feel like I’ve had every wind. And I feel like I’ve had every element thrown at me here. And um you know, I’ve had every everything mother nature has thrown, wet, dry, windy, whatever. I’ve had it. So I feel like I can navigate it uh you know, in a pretty opportune manner. That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. I mean, I still have to execute, you know. Um, and I still I think my game is at a point where execution is really the only is really the main thing that I’ve got to focus on and I love that. Um, every aspect of my game has been pretty solid. Um, and everybody that knows me and knows me well. It’s boring, but I love boring. Um, I’m really good at being boring. Um, so I love boring golf. Um, but yeah, I mean I, you know, it’s everything here. It’s the hills, it’s the bumps, it’s the it’s the rolls, it’s the speed, it’s just I’m comfortable. Doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. I’m just I think that answers why I’ve had, you know, a pretty consistent amount of uh arguably success. You talked about that execution. You’re top 20 at the Texas Open. You’re top 10 at the Masters the next week. What What do you feel like was working in that at that point of the season? And how do you channel that? Um, kind of just what I just said earlier. I mean, every every part of my game was pretty solid. You know, there’s nothing in my game that is like flashy. Never has been, right? Um, you know, when when my putter is uh manageable or working pretty well, then, you know, it it can show. I tend to hit a ton of fairways. I tend to hit a lot of greens. And so, it comes down to putting. Um those two instances again two courses that I’m extremely familiar with. Uh actually that was yes Augusta was the fourth week I played in a row. I haven’t played four weeks in a row in a long time but considering my status this year in the PJ tour and my family schedule and everything before and after it was the appropriate the appropriate plan. And so, you know, my coaches have kind of said, “Well, maybe we should start playing three or four weeks in a row more often.” You know, there could be some truth in that. I I don’t know. Um, I don’t do great in heat, like, you know, excessive heat. I mean, a lot of guys love that. I don’t do well in it. And those weeks were like perfect weather. Augusta was, man, we haven’t had a week of whatever it was, 72 to 77 degrees every day in a long time. Um, so I was, you know, my body was comfortable. Um, yeah. I mean, I think it’s I think it’s all that, but, uh, hopefully hopefully some of those good vibes can come out this week. All right, we’ll go over here in the middle. Zack, uh, you’ve got a big birthday coming up in February, as you well know. Are you going to continue to favor us coming here, or are you going to mosey off to the older 50? I’m sorry. I I I heard the first part about my age. I didn’t hear the second part. Are you going to continue to to play here as long as you can or do you roll off to the senior? Well, I mean, I’ll just say this. I hope I have the option of coming back here um for the foreseeable future. Uh I don’t know what the future’s going to hold. I mean, quite honestly, a lot of going back to the beginning of that, uh a lot of what is going to transpire next year or is going to be determined by the next so many weeks out here. So, um, and and physically too. I mean, you know, my my body is I pay attention probably now more so to the physical side of me more so than the technical side of me. So, um, and I I don’t I don’t mind that. It’s just, you know, the evolution of the game and the evolution of, uh, where I’m at as a pro. So, uh, got a great team, great plan, great plan, great plot as to how to navigate that. Um, but let’s just say if I can keep coming back here and playing, I I’m not going to come back here necessarily just to play. I want to come back here to compete. You know, that’s what I am first and foremost. And, um, you know, to whatever capacity I do come back, I hope it’s in competition. Uh, but I I can’t I can’t hide the fact that I am I have a high affinity for John Deere and the people. So that’s that goes without saying. We’ll go to Craig. Zack, I think you’re closing in on 50. I think when you were 25, we were talking about the young kids coming up behind you. Yeah. And you marveled at at at the way the game was changing. Yeah. Uh, Jackson, I told you Jackson Quinn was in here and said he can’t You can’t believe these juniors coming up behind me. Yeah, that doesn’t make any sense. Yeah. When does it When does it is there ever a level? I mean, they just can’t keep getting better, can they? I I don’t know. I mean, that’s that I mean, I guess they can. You know, records are meant to be broken. the trajectory of the youth in this game is, you know, it’s not like it’s going on that incline, but it’s a steady incline. Um, maybe with a little bit of this in there, but that it’s it’s it’s impressive. I mean, you know, I think I think you got to pay tribute to a lot of the guys. Um, you know, we’re entertainers obviously and having the relationships we do with our media partners. I mean, golf is an attractive sport for youth, so it’s all of that. It’s a Tiger Woods effect, too. I mean, we’re not going to hide that fact, right? Um, it’s all of it. And and you know, we got athletes playing this game at a young age um that could probably go a different direction in sports, but this this sport grabbed them and for good measure because it is awesome. Um, it’s daunting, it’s scary, but it’s fantastic, if that makes sense. I mean, as as a competitor, you know, as a as a as a as an athlete out here, the the youth of this game is impressive. Uh I mean, I’ll just like one of my son’s best friends, arguably his best friend, they’re both going to Clemson, is a freak in this game. I mean, he’s a freak. He I He does He’s been doing things at 15 years old that I’ve never been able to do, and he’s 18 now. So, um yeah, watch out. There’s a lot of them, you know. Well, the good news is next year you’ll be 50 and be talking about these 50s coming out. Yeah. Well, that’s an option. Um, yeah. Yeah. I I you know, and sarcasm aside, uh, it it is nice and I don’t know if comforting is the right, but it’s nice. It’s nice knowing that there’s going to be an outlet for me if if I want to go that direction and still compete. Those guys are really good, too. I mean, again, they’re really, really, really good. Um, and some of those guys have played out here as of as, you know, somewhat recent and had some successes. So, um, yeah, it’s it’s crazy. I, you know, I know I’m the oldest guy. I think I’ve been the oldest guy in every field this year. I think Padre played one week. I played um outside of Augustus obviously, but when I get to the first TE, it fortunately it doesn’t really matter. Um you know, I still feel like I can do it and I you know, I just tend to hit my second shots first. So, all right, we’ll go to Tom. You talked a little bit about your um commitments this week. You had your event up in Cedar Rapids on Monday. How did that go by the way? And then you come back here glad hand last night at deer. Does that make it tougher for you to prepare for this tournament? Sure. As as you get older when you have those commitments that you have to meet. Um tougher? No, I don’t think so. I just think it comes down to um relying on what I’ve learned in the past. I’m really I’m pretty darn good at compartmentalizing things. I mean, I think you have to be in in in this role. Um, especially once you start garnering success and whether you call them obligations or opportunity, opportunities surface more, you have to know how to filter that and navigate that. Um, and so I I I’ve been pretty good at that, you know, not just this week, but in in general. So, I rely on that experience and and that ability. Um, I mean, Yes, there’s a lot this week. Uh, specifically talking about Sunday night and Monday, that’s a lot. Um, but I wouldn’t change a second of it. Um, not not not a millisecond of it. So, it’s all worthy. It’s all fantastic. Um, even though it’s John Deere Classic week here, they’re they actually have a presence at my event in Cedar Rapids as well. So you know it’s kind of like a stepping stone to come to Silvis. Um it the success of what we have there uh is also energizing and motivational. So yeah and like yesterday excuse me Monday night Monday afternoon Monday night I was pretty tired for obvious reasons. I just competed in Detroit and then uh you know couple that with our event was which was outrageously awesome. Um I had to decompress a little bit you know but I had my whole family there. My kids were there my siblings and their kids etc. So that was awesome you know just grilled out chilled and then I came I got here midday yesterday. I puted for two hours and uh essentially that was about it. Right. did some physical some physio work, but um nothing of any substance. So, I don’t play till three today and I’m now I’m going to get to work. I slept awesome finally last night and my coach is here. Um so, we’re going to get to work and at this point it’s it’s business as usual. Um Andrew, Miss Mara, and their team. um they you know we obviously communicate periodically or even consistently and um I’m I’m grateful. I mean I have some obligations that that I completely welcome and actually really enjoy. Uh but for the most part they they want me to go compete and I’m grateful for that. So um I’ll be wearing my green essentially every day. Well, Friday I’ll be red, white, and blue, but uh I’m going to represent John Deere the best of my ability and um and all the 49 plus year olds. All right, we have time for about one or two more. We’ll start right here. After 23 years, is there anything about this place, this tournament that still catches you by surprise when you come here? That’s a really, really good question. Um I don’t think any catches me by surprise. I’m not overly shocked by it. Well, I’ll say I’ll say this. I mean, I know my fingers keep going back. I know I I know I’m an ambassador more or less for this event. Um, and I love that, you know. Uh, really that just means I get on a phone call periodically and and talk to a lot of good friends that that really do all the work. Um, I it’s really twofold. Number one, the people here consistently are just amazing. you know, they love they love what this tournament’s about. And I can really get specific on that, but I’ll just highlight it once, right? I mean, over 200 million to charity, right? It’s coming up. That’s that’s why we do what we do. Like, today’s the biggest day of the week. And um as a player, we we go to the all these communities and obviously all these tournaments that Wednesday and and and the shelling out of those monies to the organizations that need that opportunity is really what it’s all about. We don’t see it on the for like the tangible aspect of that, but I do get videos from Andrew Claire Prior as to why we do what we do here. So I don’t know if that’s surprising. I’m just saying that’s we don’t see the benefit. We don’t see that directly. That’s what this is about. And then number two, um, fortunately, you know, this this tournament has always had, if you call it that, a date that can be kind of difficult, right, as far as my peers go, but it’s going to be the best field statistically if you look at like from a world golf ranking standpoint. Um, I don’t really love that measure, but it’s legitimate. So, you know, the buzz is out as to how good this golf course is and how good this tournament is, etc. And again, that’s not surprising, but you to some people that might be a shock. Um, I understand it because I know what it’s about. I know who’s here and I know what they try to do. So, I try to do my part to get guys here um as best I can. Um, I bribe. No, I beg. No, it’s not true. Uh but you know it’s it’s it’s it’s amazing. It’s an amazing week. Um last year I think was kind of an anomaly. We had really good weather like 78 to 82. This year it’s kind of back to normal that 85 to 92 or whatever. But uh um it’s it’s it’s an awesome week. It’s a trying week because of the walk which is I like that too. Um so yeah, I mean I think I think there’s nothing that’s overly surprising. I just think it needs to be made mentioned that this week is uh it’s growing on tour as to how good it is. And then one last one, you talked about the youth. You’re playing with a kid today in Carter Henning. Are you aware of his story at all? I’ I’ve been briefed on it a little bit. I don’t want to uh completely guess on it, but I know had a tragic accident. I don’t know at what age. Um, but he’s a pretty accomplished player and continues to be given the circumstances. So, I’ve got two teenage boys and I’m not so sure either one of my boys are as courageous or as strong as this kid. And my big man, my oldest man is a big man. He’s strong, but mentally as as as strong. Um, I’m I’m excited. I’m excited to to witness and then obviously have a little chat with him here and there. Um, I saw my dad somehow was there’s we have a connection with the family or maybe his business. I forget how it is. His aunt or it doesn’t matter. Um, but he sent me a video of him hitting a golf shot and uh he didn’t have a prosthetic at the time. So, I’m told he kind of does now maybe. I I don’t know if that’s accurate. You’re nodding your heads. Was supposed to be. So, I mean that’s almost irrelevant. I mean, you know, the kid can go out and hit a golf ball with uh, you know, without his left leg. That That’s impressive. And he still pursues the game at a high rate. That’s that’s awesome. That’s inspiring. Um, yeah, the youth crazy. Love it. All right. Just don’t beat me. Thanks, Zach, for the time. My pleasure. All right. All right. All right.