Zach Johnson celebrated turning 50 yesterday (February 24th) by announcing he’s making his Champions Tour debut on March 8th at Boca Raton in Florida.
The double major champion will join a tournament full of fellow major winners, PGA Tour and DP World Tour champions teeing-up in the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational.
“I am invigorated to go out there and, you know, not take a head cover off on a par 4,” said Johnson in an Champions Tour website article.
“I’m not taking it for granted. I feel like I’ve earned my diploma, and I’m gonna make the jump to greener pastures, more or less.”
“I’M INVIGORATED I’VE EARNED MY DIPLOMA ….
Double Major winning Zach Johnson turned 50 yesterday (Feb 24th) announcing he’s making his @ChampionsTour debut on March 8th @JamesHardieInv
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Johnson proudly joins the over-50 brigade having won 26 times in his pro career, capped by victories at the 2007 Masters and then clinching his last of a dozen PGA Tour counting wins in a play-off at the 2015 Open Championship at St. Andrews.
He captured two Nationwide Tour titles, four NGA Hooters victories and also eight other earlier career victories.
Other than winning The Open, Johnson did not taste success outside of the US while he competed in five Ryder Cup’s, including being a member on the victorious 2016 side and then captaining the losing 2023 USA team in Rome.
Though there’s no doubting Johnson’s popularity as he revealed he’s received a huge bundle of text messages from family, friends and, also fellow players.
“I think part of me is like, man, I still feel like I got a lot of really good golf in front of me, and I’d love to do that against the best,” said Johnson.
“At the same time, one, I gotta stay healthy, and two, I’m gonna go compete against guys that have always been one, two, three, four, five, six years older than me. And 25 years ago, they were still that age gap, and they beat me a lot. So, why am I to assume that it’s gonna be that easy? These guys are good.”
Among those reaching out to Johnson has been fellow Open Champions Stewart Cink and Darren Clarke
“Darren was pretty direct in that you have to come our firing like, ‘Hey, you gotta bring your game,'” Johnson said. “And you gotta put the pedal down fast, because there’s only three days. You have to putt well. And I was like, ‘Yeah, you know what? That makes sense.’ I never looked at it that way.”
Johnson indicated he expects to play a full Champions Tour schedule in addition to “maybe three” events on TOUR. He still plans to play the John Deere Classic and won’t miss Davis Love III’s The RSM Classic. He also has his lifelong exemption into the Masters and can play The Open Championship until age 60.
Otherwise, he is “going both feet in” on the Champions Tour. Johnson said he’s “never had so many tournament directors reaching out” to play in their events.
Johnson has a long list of tournaments he’s excited to play. The Champions Tour hosts the Principal Charity Classic in Johnson’s home state of Iowa. He’s in love with Firestone Country Club, a long-time PGA TOUR stop that’s now on the Champions Tour schedule.
First, he’s excited for the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational next week. He expects it will feel a little different, but “competition is competition.” It’s now just the start of a new competitive era for the 12-time TOUR winner.
“I hope there’s jitters,” he said. “I hope there is, because then I know I’m feeling the right things.”
- Copy with thanks Champions Tour
