Zach Johnson discusses John Deere Classic, turning 50, Ryder Cup | Golf Today | Golf Channel

Zach Johnson joins Golf Today to discuss the John Deere Classic, if he feels old after turning 50, the future of his golf career, the PGA Tour FedExCup standings, Keegan Bradley’s U.S. Ryder Cup backroom team and more. #Golf #GolfChannel #PGATour
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Zach Johnson discusses John Deere Classic, turning 50, Ryder Cup | Golf Today | Golf Channel
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THAT WAS AT THE OPEN AT ST. ANDREWS FOR THE SECOND TITLE OF HIS CAREER. JOHNSON SHOT 66 IN THE FINAL ROUND, CAME FROM THREE STROKES BACK TO FINISH AT 15 UNDER. AN EMOTIONAL VICTORY, AT THE HOME OF GOLF. AND WE ARE PLEASED TO BE JOINED NOW BY ZACH JOHNSON. ZACH, THERE HAS BEEN A RECENT PUSH ON PGA TOUR FOR THE BIGGEST MARKETS AND THE TOUGHEST GOLF COURSES. WHY DO YOU THINK THERE IS STILL ROOM ON THE PGA TOUR SCHEDULE FOR THE JOHN DEERE CLASSICS OF THE WORLD? >> THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK IT STARTS WITH — I THINK IT STARTS WITH, YOU KNOW, THE TITLE SPONSOR, WHY WE ARE HERE. I MEAN, YOU HAVE THE HEADQUARTERS — WHICH I WAS AT LAST NIGHT — ONE JOHN DEERE AWAY. [ LAUGHTER ] I MEAN, IT COULDN’T BE MORE THAN SIX, SEVEN MINUTES, AND AS THE CROW FLIES, IT IS EVEN SHORTER. SO, YOU HAVE A MASSIVE PRESENCE AND A REALLY GREAT COMMUNITY HERE. AND I MEAN, IT IS A DECENT SIZED AREA AS FAR AS POPULATION IN THE MIDWEST, BUT YOU HAVE A GREAT COMPANY THAT HAS THEIR FOOTPRINT HERE, AND THEN YOU HAVE A GOLF COURSE THAT COUPLES THAT. THAT IS SPECTACULAR. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE IS ROOM FOR BOTH. IF I’M GOING TO BE TRANSPARENT. BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE IS A REASON WHY JOHN DEERE KEEPS RENEWING, KEEPS WANTING TO BE A PART OF OUR PRODUCT, AND KEEPS WANTING TO SHOWCASE THEIR — YOU KNOW, THE GREEN AND YELLOW. AND OBVIOUSLY, HELP THIS COMMUNITY IN SO MANY WAYS. >> ZACH, YOU KNOW HAVE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME WHEN YOU START TO COMPETE AGAINST THE KIDS OF YOUR PEERS. TIM CARSON, HE WENT AMONG THE QUALIFYING PLAYOFF TO GET IN THIS WEEK. YOU HAVE KIDS LIKE THE NCAA CHAMPION, JACKSON CORDON, THEY ARE ALL HERE THIS WEEK. DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL OLD? OR, DO YOU STILL FEEL LIKE YOU’VE GOT SOMETHING TO SHOW THESE KIDS? >> IT’S — YES, BOTH. [ LAUGHTER ] I DON’T KNOW IF I NEED TO SHOW THEM ANYTHING, BUT I STILL THINK I CAN COMPETE WITH THEM. I THINK I HAVE, FOR THE MOST PART, KIND OF PROVEN THAT. I THINK, FOR ME, IT COMES DOWN TO BEING PHYSICALLY ABLE TO DO IT. I MEAN, MY BODY IS THE VEHICLE NOW THAT NEEDS TO BE TUNED UP, AS BEST AS POSSIBLE. AND I’VE GOT A GOOD TEAM TO DO THAT. BUT, YEAH, IT’S KIND OF DAUNTING AT THE SAME TIME. I MEAN, KNOWING THAT I AM COMPETING AGAINST KIDS WHO ARE MY SON’S AGE, THAT IS JUST BIZARRE. BUT, IT’S ALSO AWESOME. I MEAN, I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S INSPIRING, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS MOTIVATIONAL, TO SOME DEGREE. I MEAN, THE USE OF THE GAME, OR OBVIOUSLY THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WILL TAKE THIS GAME TO NEW HEIGHTS AS TIME GOES FORWARD, SO WE HAVE TO EMBRACE THAT, AND RELISH THAT. FOR THE MOST PART, I HAVE GOTTEN TO MEET SOME KIDS. I DON’T KNOW THEM, ALL, PERSONALLY, ALSO WELL, BUT GREAT GUYS, GREAT KIDS, THAT FORTUNATELY, OR UNFORTUNATELY, I REALLY GOOD AT THIS GAME. [ LAUGHTER ] >> ZACH, TO KEEP THIS THING GOING, YOU ACTUALLY BECOME CHAMPIONS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE NEXT SPRING. HAVE YOU BEGUN TO ENVISION WHAT THE NEXT FEW YEARS OF YOUR COMPETITIVE CAREER COULD LOOK LIKE? >> YOU KNOW, I GET THE QUESTION ALL TOO FREQUENT, NOW. I REALLY HAVEN’T. I MEAN, I HAVE, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE OF THE OBVIOUS FACTS THAT I AM GETTING READY TO TURN TO THAT AGE. BUT, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT. I MEAN, SHOOT, SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS ARE OUT THERE. THE THOUGHT OF TRAVEL, WITH MY LIFE OUT THERE, SOUNDS PRETTY AWESOME. AND THAT WOULD BE A LOT OF ON. AND I KNOW A LOT OF THE VENUES, BECAUSE SOME OF THEM USED TO BE ON TOUR, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS PLAYING A LONG TIME AGO, SO THAT PART IS EXCITING. I SAY ALL OF THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I STILL KIND OF OPERATE WHEREVER MY FEET ARE, IF I AM GOING TO GET CLICHI■ I LOVE STILL BEING ON THE PGA TOUR. I LOVE TRYING TO PLAY AGAINST THE BEST IN THE WORLD. I MEAN, AS A COMPETITOR, FIRST, THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT. BUT, I ALSO KNOW THAT MOTHER TIME — IS THAT EVEN A SAYING? IS UP AGAINST ME. I GET IT, I FEEL IT EVERY MORNING, WHEN I GET UP. BUT, I LOVE THE WORK. I LOVE TO, YOU KNOW, PUT THE WORK IN THE DIRT, AS THEY SAY, AND GET AFTER IT. SO, A LOT WILL BE DETERMINED, HONESTLY, IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS AS TO WHAT WILL TRANSPIRE NEXT YEAR FOR ME, AND I AM OKAY WITH THAT. I AM OKAY WITH WHATEVER COMES MY WAY, BUT I WILL TELL YOU I AM GOING TO GIVE IT EVERYTHING I HAVE TO GO OUT AND COMPETE AND ESSENTIALLY TRY TO WIN GOLF TOURNAMENTS. >> SPEAKING OF WHICH, YOUR 103rd, IN THIS YEAR’S FEDEX CUP STANDINGS. HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR PEERS SORT OF FEELING THE SHIFT ON THE TOUR? TOP 105 ELIGIBILITY, NOW AT 100 YOU FIND YOURSELF RIGHT IN THE BUBBLE. >> YEAH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I HAVEN’T REALLY GIVEN IT A WHOLE LOT OF THOUGHT, NOR HAVE I HAD MANY DISCUSSIONS WITH IT. IT IS THE EVOLUTION OF OUR SPORT, THE EVOLUTION OF THE TOUR. YOU KNOW, WE HAD A NICE MEETING LAST WEEK WITH TORT REPRESENTATIVES, CURRENT AND FUTURE. AND I GET IT. I MEAN, I DON’T NEED TO KNOW ALL THE NUANCE OF IT. I DON’T NEED TO KNOW ALL THE SPECIFICS. I HAVE BEEN ON THOSE BOARDS AND THOSE COMMITTEES, AND I TRUST THE POWERS THAT BE ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING, AS FAR AS, LIKE I SAID, THE PROCESS AND THE EVOLUTION OF OUR SPORT, AND OUR PRODUCT. YOU KNOW, AND I HAVE FULLY EMBRACED IT. SO, IT IS WHAT IT IS. WE KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT IS MOTIVATIONAL. IF ANYTHING, THAT IS WHAT IS KEEPING ME GOING, TO SEE IF I CAN — YOU KNOW, GARNER A SPOT NEXT YEAR, AND HAVE OPTIONS. THAT WOULD BE AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY. SO, IT’S NOT GOING TO BE EASY. AND I AM OKAY WITH THAT. ACTUALLY, I HAD SEVEN WEEKS OFF. [ LAUGHTER ] UP UNTIL LAST WEEK. I HAVEN’T DONE THAT IN A LONG TIME. AND THAT WAS FORCED, BECAUSE I WASN’T IN THE U.S. OPEN, WASN’T IN SOME OF THE SIGNATURE EVENTS, OBVIOUSLY. BUT, NOW, I’M READY TO GO. I PLAYED LAST WEEK IN DETROIT, SO I’M PLAYING THE NEXT FOUR OUT OF FIVE FROM HERE ON OUT, SO THAT WILL BE FIVE OUT OF SIX. AND WHAT THAT IS, IS OPPORTUNITY. I LOVE GOING BACK TO THAT WORD, I LOVE WHAT IT MEANS. AND, YOU KNOW, JUST GET AFTER IT AND COMPETE HARD. THAT IS WHAT THIS GAME IS ALL ABOUT. >> YOUR SUCCESSOR IS RYDER CUP CAMPION BRADLEY, A POPULAR GUY ON TOUR IN JOINTS JIM FURYK, WEBB SIMPSON AND TWO OF THOSE GUYS HAVE ACTUALLY NOT PLAYED RYDER CUP SPLIT ARE AMONG THE MORE POPULAR GUYS IN THE LOCKER ROOM. ARE YOU SURPRISED IN ANY WAY IN TERMS OF THE BACK ROOM TEAM THAT KEEGAN IS PUTTING TOGETHER? NOT SURPRISED — >> NO, I’M NOT SURPRISED, AT ALL. TECHNICALLY, I’M STILL ON RYDER CUP COMMITTEE WITH THE PGA TOUR OF AMERICA, WHICH I CERTAINLY LOVE. AND WE, OBVIOUSLY, AS TEAM USA, AND AS A PEER OF THESE GENTLEMEN, WE TRUST WHAT KEEGAN AND THAT GROUP WANTS TO DO. I MEAN, HE IS PUTTING A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT OF EFFORT INTO IT, AND STILL PLAYING WELL, WHICH IS AMAZING. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK HE’S GOT THINGS IN PLACE THAT HE FEELS WILL BE GREAT FOR SUCCESS IN NEW YORK, AND THAT IS ALL YOU CAN DO. AND IT IS HARD. I HAVE BEEN IN THAT POSITION, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE, AND CERTAINLY SUPPORT ANY AND ALL DECISIONS THAT KEEGAN AND HIS TEAM HAS MADE. BECAUSE I KNOW HE’S DOING IT FOR THE BETTERMENT OF HIS TEAM AND NOT HIMSELF, IT IS A ROLE THAT HE HAS TAKEN VERY, YOU KNOW, VERY MUCH IGHLY, AND WILL DO A GREAT JOB. HE ALREADY HAS. SO, SHOOTING MY PLAY? WHO KNOWS. I DON’T KNOW WHAT DISCUSSIONS ARE LIKE THAT, BUT THAT IS A MAN THAT CAN PLAY, TOO. BUT, THOSE GENTLEMEN THAT HE HAS, THAT ARE CONFIDANTS OF HIS NOW, THEY WILL DO A GREAT JOB, THE GUYS WANT TO BE AROUND HIM, NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT QUALITY CHARACTER, HIGH INTEGRITY INDIVIDUALS THAT ILL PUT THE TEAM FIRST. >> JUST THIS IDEA OF KEEGAN IN A PLAYING CAPTAIN, THERE IS NO ONE IN A BETTER POSITION TO ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE YOU HAVE VACATED THAT JOB THAT KEEGAN NOW HAS. WHEN YOU ARE PLAYING AT TOP LEVEL, BACK WHEN YOU WERE THE CAPTAIN, CAN YOU IMAGINE DIVIDING YOUR TIME BEING INSIDE THE ROPES AND OUTSIDE THE ROPES IN BOTH OF THOSE ROLES THAT WE CAN ROOM? >> YEAH, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, THAT IS A MASSIVE HYPOTHETICAL. I DON’T — I COULD NOT, PERSONALLY. BUT, AGAIN, I WASN’T PLAYING AT NEAR THE LEVEL THAT KEEGAN WAS PLAYING, THEN OR NOW. SO — AND NO ONE IS SURPRISED BY THAT LEVEL. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A STALWART IN OUR GAME. NO, I CANNOT. BUT, I SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IT IS HYPOTHETICAL. I DON’T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE TRANSPIRED IF THAT WERE THE CASE. YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE DIFFICULT CHOICES, REGARDLESS OF IF HE IS PLAYING, OR NOT. BUT, ULTIMATELY, I FIRMLY TRUST ANY AND ALL DECISIONS THAT THEY WILL BE MAKING. >> ZACH, THOUGH, YOU WERE A PART OF TIGER WOODS’ BACKROOM STAFF IN 2019 OF THE PRESIDENTS CUP AND I KNOW IT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FORMAT, IT IS FOUR DAYS INSTEAD OF THREE. WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THAT WEEK, THOUGH? TIGER’S DUAL RESPONSIBILITIES — ANYTHING ADDITIONAL THAT MAY HAVE BEEN ON YOUR PLATE? >> WELL, YEAH, PHENOMENAL WEEK DOWN IN AUSTRALIA. A TRYING WEEK, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU COMPOUND TIME CHANGE, AND ACCLAMATION, AND ALL OF THAT — WHICH IS OBVIOUS, WE KNEW THAT. ONE THING THAT — I MEAN, THE MAIN THING THAT I REMEMBER THERE, AND I KNEW IT BEFORE HAND, BUT IT WAS REALLY BROUGHT TO LIGHT THAT WEEK — IS REALLY, HOW WELL, HOW EFFICIENT, HOW EFFECTIVE, TIGER IS WITH COMPARTMENTALIZING. THE MAN IS ABLE TO, ESSENTIALLY — WAS ABLE TO WEAR TWO DIFFERENT HATS AT ANY BECK AND CALL. AND NOW, WHEN IT WAS TIME TO BE A CAPTAIN, AND BE A LEADER — WHICH, HE DID PHENOMENALLY — YOU WORE THAT HAT AND HE DID A GREAT. OFTEN TIMES, JUST BY EXAMPLE. OFTEN TIMES, VERBALLY, AND AROUND THE TEAM. BUT, WHEN IT WAS TIME TO GO OFF AND COMPETE, HE SHIFTED OVER, AND IT WAS LIKE A SWITCH WENT ON, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT WAS LIKE — I MEAN, WE HAVE ALL SEEN IT. THAT IS WHAT I REMEMBER AND THAT IS WHAT IS THE MOST IMPRESSIVE THING ABOUT IT. AND, YOU KNOW, HE LED BY EXAMPLE WITH BOTH HATS, AS A LEADER, AND AS A COMPETITOR. THAT TRICKLED DOWN TO THE WHOLE TEAM AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAD SUCCESS THERE IN THE END. TRYING WEEK, HARD WEEK, BUT MAN, WHAT A GREAT WEEK. AND HAVING TIGER LEAD US, LEAD THOSE PLAYERS, WAS INSPIRATIONAL. >> YOU ARE ALSO A GUY WHO KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT GOING FROM BEING A CAPTAIN, TO BEING A PLAYER, WHAT YOU ARE THIS WEEK. WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE THE TIME. LOOKING FORWARD TO T