Zach Johnson found himself feeling a bit nostalgic after his impressive third-round performance at the Masters on Saturday.
The 49-year-old, who won the Masters in 2007, fired a 6-under 66, marking his best score in 65 rounds at Augusta National. It was an unexpected result, especially since he had gone 28 rounds without breaking 70 at the Masters. Despite a late bogey, Johnson made an impressive leap on the leaderboard, moving up 29 spots to tie for 11th at 4-under for the tournament.
“I don’t hit the ball far enough to compete on some of these venues, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still finish well,” Johnson said. He was quick to point out that his game had been improving this season. “Today was just a prime example of all the work paying off,” he added.
Johnson had made the cut by the slimmest of margins on Friday at 2-over par. His round on Saturday started with a bang, sinking a 41-foot eagle putt at the par-5 second hole. However, it wasn’t until the ninth hole that Johnson really gained momentum, making back-to-back birdies. He added another birdie at the iconic par-3 12th, known as “Golden Bell,” sticking his approach shot from 155 yards within 15 feet. At the next hole, he laid up before hitting a wedge to 2 feet for another birdie, and he followed that with a birdie at the par-5 15th after hitting a wedge within 3 feet.
His most memorable shot may have been at the par-3 16th, where he stuck his 170-yard tee shot inside a foot, leaving him a tap-in birdie.
Johnson reflected on how Augusta National’s setup this year provided a balance of challenging pins and opportunities to make birdies. He was satisfied to finish with a par at the tough par-4 18th, completing one of his best rounds ever at the Masters.
In 2007, Johnson made history by winning the Masters despite finishing over par, defeating Retief Goosen, Rory Sabbatini, and Tiger Woods. His victory that year was his first major win, but since then, he has struggled at Augusta, with his last top-25 finish coming in 2008. Johnson has also missed the cut in two of the past three years.
He credited his strong performance to his pairing with Jon Rahm, the 2021 Masters champion. Rahm shot a 2-under 70, and the two seemed to feed off each other’s good play. Johnson also drew inspiration from Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples, who, despite being in their 60s, still compete at a high level at Augusta. Both came close to making the cut, with Langer missing by one and Couples by two.
“Those are my guys,” Johnson said. “They really inspire me. You see them still playing well at this age, and it reminds you that this place can bring out the best in you.”
As Johnson reflected on his time at Augusta, the memories of walking down Magnolia Lane stood out. “Taking someone down Magnolia Lane for the first time is one of my favorite things,” he said, noting the emotional reactions of people who walk it for the first time. “It’s nostalgic, and you can get caught up in it, but you’ve got to stay present,” Johnson added, clearly pleased with his performance and focused on staying in the moment.
