2023 IGA Yearbook

94 As Johnson pondered the shot, captain Tom Lehman approached and said, “You’ve got the shot. Hit it.” He laced a 3-wood to 20 feet, and it resulted in a birdie to cut the deficit in half. “It was nerve wracking,” Johnson says now. “You want the ball. You want the last shot. But it was very difficult. If you’re playing conservative golf, it’s not one you do.” Johnson made a 14-foot for birdie putt on the 17th hole that extended the match, then made a 4-footer for birdie on the last hole to win the hole and earn a halve. “He played like a champion,” Lehman said. Lehman predicted that Johnson’s success in the clutch would pay dividends in major championships down the road. Zach won the Masters the following spring, added the Open Championship in 2015 (pictured right) and has nine Top 10 finishes in majors overall including a tie for third in the 2010 PGA and a tie for eighth in the 2016 U.S. Open. “I’ve said it to the young guys who have made these teams, the Presidents Cup included, that when you’re called upon to execute, under these highly-weighted circumstances, and you come through, it’s going to make you a better player,” Johnson said. “I still talk about that shot (on the 16th) as one of the best shots I’ve ever hit in golf.” His time as a player and vice captain have given Johnson a taste of what he faces when he makes his six at-large picks and then puts together his pairings. He’ll also lean on others for feedback. “It’s a team when we compete, and a team when we’re trying to make a team,” Johnson said. “There’s volatility this year.” Picking his team includes the uneasy alliance between the PGA Tour and LIV, as well as a weighted point system in elevated events that can rapidly alter the team standings. The selection process for the 2023 Ryder Cup was already determined when the PGA Tour added elevated events. “I think it’s my responsibility, at this point, to utilize the template that’s been given to me, one that’s efficient and effective,” Zach said. “I want to win, but I want them in a position so they can be who they are. That’s my role.” The bottom line is that Johnson will rely on all his experiences, including his marketing degree from Drake University, to guide him in the process. “When I think about the Ryder Cup I smile, because it’s still the best thing I’ve ever been associated with competitively,” he said. “I flipping love team sports.” The fact that he’s representing his country is another reason this is a special moment in McCoy’s career. Mike McCoy (L) and Zach Johnson played a practice round together before the 2014 Masters.