Aloha, PGA tour

Golf Digest, Feb, 2004 by Ron Kaspriske

ON THE TEE

ZACH JOHNSON

AGE: 28

HOME: LAKE MARY, FLA.

FORGET THOSE GYRATING END-ZONE DANCES. IF MINI-tour veteran Zach Johnson played football, he would simply hand the ball to an official after scoring a touchdown. His attitude toward golf is no different. The reason he's not giddy about making his PGA Tour debut in January at the Sony Open in Hawaii is because he expected to be there.

"Everybody says I have a natural feel for the game but not me," says Johnson, our pick as the tour's next breakthrough player. "I just think I understand how to improve from year to year."

Don't confuse his confidence for cockiness. Johnson's outlook stems from success at every level of his profession. The Iowan won his state championship twice and won three times on the Prairie Tour and four times on the Hooters Tour from 1998 to 2002.

He excelled last year on the Nationwide Tour, winning twice, finishing in the top three in nine of 20 tournaments and setting the tour record for money earned in a season ($494,882). He finished first or second in 14 statistical categories, including No. 1 in putting average and scoring average.

Johnson says he will play as many events as he can on the PGA Tour this year to ensure success.

"And you'd better believe Hawaii is on the list," he says. "I've only been married for a year. If I don't take my wife [Kim] there, that could start a rocky second year."