Zach Johnson returns to Georgia with winning on his mind in AT&T Classic

From WorldGolf.com News Services

With the PGA Tour returning to the state of Georgia for this week's AT&T Classic, it would be no surprise if Zach Johnson had winning on his mind.

Johnson is back to defend his title at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga. However, the Iowa native's ties to Georgia go back even farther as he has captured all three of his PGA Tour victories in the state, including the 2007 Masters.

Last year, Johnson defeated Ryuji Imada in a playoff in the AT&T Classic for his second victory of the year. He previously won the event in 2004 and finished second at Sugarloaf in 2006.

"It comes up all the time," Johnson told reporters when asked about his past success in Georgia. "You know, I love the golf courses certainly. I love the character they bring and certainly how my game matches up to them."

Johnson said it could also have something to do with the time of year that the Georgia events are played.

"The spring, early summer is kind of when my game starts to click," Johnson said. "My West Coast (play) has always been OK - a couple decent finishes, no real noteworthy finishes.

"That's just when my game starts to peak, and I'm hoping it starts this week."

Johnson certainly should feel comfortable in the AT&T Classic. In four starts at the $5.5 million event, he has earned $2,284,650. However, Johnson said he can't really pinpoint why he's been so successful at TPC Sugarloaf.

"Obviously, on the scorecard it's pretty long, which shouldn't fit me, but I think what this course makes you do is that ... it's target oriented," Johnson said. "There are some holes here where I might be hitting driver and other guys might be hitting 3-wood, so that kind of brings me right back into it."

Greg Norman, the TPC Sugarloaf designer, is scheduled to make his first start in the event since 2004. Other notables in the field include 2008 Players Championship runner-up Paul Goydos, who lost a one-hole playoff to Sergio Garcia last Sunday.

Goydos described the past week as "a whirlwind" as he's received an outpouring of congratulations from family, friends and fans.

"The hardest thing probably to deal with is figuring out a way to thank everybody for their support," Goydos told reporters. "It's been an amazing week for a guy who finished second, a guy who lost.

"I have to tip my hat to Sergio Garcia. The guy shot under par on a day that was treacherous — a day where a bad swing meant double bogey or worse.

Johnson comes to the AT&T Classic having made the cut in 10 of 12 starts in 2008, but owns just one top-10 finish, that coming with a ninth-place finish in the CA Championship. No. 22 in the world rankings, Johnson has $501,778 in earnings and is 84th in the FedEx Cup standings.

Johnson has missed the cut in two of his last three events, including last week's Players Championship.

"I didn't play particularly well last week, but I'm always optimistic," Johnson said. "I feel things are good. I know what I need to do as far as my preparation goes and that sort of thing. I feel good. My body feels pretty good and my game feels okay."

AT&T Classic

SCHEDULE: Thursday-Sunday
SITE: Duluth, Ga.
COURSE: TPC Sugarloaf (7,311 yards, par 72)
PURSE: $5.5 million (winner's share: $990,000)
FEDEX CUP POINTS: 25,000 (winner's share: 4,500)
TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m., 8:30-11:30 p.m. EDT) and CBS (Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m. EDT)

May 15, 2008