Content provided courtesy of Rolex, a worldwide partner of the Ryder Cup
Zach Johnson, the captain who will lead the American team this week against Europe in the Ryder Cup, spoke with Rolex about his long-standing relationship with the Swiss watchmaker and his preparations for the match on September 29-October 1 at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome, Italy. Johnson, a 12-time winner on the PGA Tour, including two major championships, played in five Ryder Cups. Here is a portion of that conversation:
Rolex: 2023 promises to be an exciting year with the Ryder Cup in Rome. How much are you looking forward to this event?
Johnson: My excitement is hard to quantify. I’m really looking forward to it, and I was told when I got the official ask to be the Ryder Cup captain, that there’s a lot of time between last winter in 2022 and September 2023 in Rome. In that time span, my advice was to really cherish it and relish it, and that’s what I’m trying to do when it comes to the captaincy portion of it. When it comes to the competition, I can’t wait. This is a lifetime opportunity and one that I’d be lying to you if I said I’d dreamt about, because my dreams never got this far. I’ve always said, if you can be associated with Team USA in the Ryder Cup, you jump at the opportunity – specifically competing, because that’s what we do, but any in any role. I love the selfless servitude role, and that will be my role and I’m jacked up for it.
Rolex: What is it about the team-competition format that you particularly enjoy?
Johnson: That question could not be more relevant. What’s inherent to me is I love team sports and love competition. Competition is my fuel. It’s what gets me going in the morning and what keeps me up at night, and so when you take such an individual game in golf, now we do have a team, we have coaches and things of that nature so not to be blinded by that, but the bottom line is when it comes down to it, we’re the ones hitting the shots; we’re the ones making the decisions. We’re essentially the president of our little company, so when you can take that individual game and then combine it with the beauty of team, which is Ryder Cup USA, it’s special, it’s unique and it is motivational.
Every two years, my No. 1 goal is to make the USA Ryder Cup team and play. I love representing our country, I love being in the locker room with 11 other guys for the same mission, and I love knowing that it brings out the best in me and I learn so much. That week is special because you share it with your wife, your spouse, your girlfriend, whoever it may be, and then your caddie and their spouse, and it just becomes this really small group with a common goal and common mission to win but fully enjoying the process of trying to win, and that’s what I love about the team.
Rolex: You represented the U.S. in the Ryder Cup five times as a player (2006, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016), being part of the winning team at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, in 2016. Can you describe the feeling of what it means to represent Team USA? And how much do you enjoy being involved in the Ryder Cup?
Johnson: I would say 2016 sticks out for me because it was the only one I’d won as a teammate, as a player, as a competitor, and that’s still kind of hard to swallow. I’m really not over 2012. I don’t need to rehash that one, but Medinah still doesn’t sit well with me. There was a lot going on there that was fresh off Seve Ballesteros’ passing, and so for golf standards it was amazing, but as a USA member it was kind of hard to swallow. 2016 was spectacular. Davis Love III was our captain, and I remember Tiger Woods was a vice captain and one of my peers and one of my confidants there, and it was special. I would trade all of my wins in this event individually and as tandems to win more as a team. I just want to win, and like I said, just joining arms with guys that you try to beat week in, week out on the PGA Tour is what we’re called to do; it’s what we’re born to do; it’s what we’re bred to do. But then when you can do this every two years, it’s just unique and it’s special.
These are the weeks that are the most memorable. If you asked me what I hit on the 12th hole last week on Friday, I’m going to struggle. If you ask me what I hit on the 12th hole in 2016 at the Ryder Cup on Friday, I can probably tell you. That’s my point. You don’t forget everything about it, and all of your senses are on overload. Specifically, the sites and the sounds, but it’s all of it. I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it. The first tee at the Ryder Cup, in particular, is arguably – and I’m biased, but – one of the top spectacles in sport. Friday morning is probably the loudest because it’s the start of the competition, but even Sundays are obscenely loud, but it’s amazing. What this competition has evolved into and what it has morphed into over the years, just keeps getting better. As a team player, I relish playing in front of my home crowd and love playing in front of the United States citizens and fans, but for me, I firmly love going across the pond. I love going over to Europe and embracing the difficulty in that. The fans over there are of extremely high class, loud and pushing their team as they very well should, but in full respect knowing this game is hard. I love that, too, so I cannot wait for Rome.
Rolex: Can you tell us about Marco Simone? Do you think it is well-suited to the strengths of Team Europe, and how do you see them faring?
Johnson: I have played Marco Simone golf course, and my first reaction is kind of twofold. I think the beauty of that golf course is it’s high in character, and what I mean by that is, it’s versatile. It has a lot of up; it has a lot of down; it has a lot of left; has a lot of right, short and long. The second thing is that it’s extremely hilly. I could not get over some of the shot-making up and down that we’re going to have as a team. I’ve voiced that to the team, specifically the caddies, because when you have two sessions on Friday and Saturday, it becomes very difficult to walk and navigate a golf course of this magnitude. What’s probably going to be a very warm week as well – mid-80s – so be prepared physically for the toll, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
I have witnessed the Italian Open, and the golf course is outstanding. It’s a restored venue, and I think they’ve done a great job. The Fazio Group restored it, and you can see some of the fingerprints that Fazio Group did, and it already has the makeup of a stadium and I would say in particular 16, 17 and 18 right off the bat, the last three holes are set up as if it’s a stadium. For fans, that’s really special. Obviously, there’s going to be numerous pavilions and marquees of some sort so that you can get inside, but the bottom line is you’re going to have a great view of golf from a number of different vantage points. That’s a sign of a really good golf course. It’s just a golf course. There are no homes in the periphery except for one, and it just happens to be a castle.
So, come on, America. We’re a lot younger than these guys. It’s going to be pretty spectacular.
Rolex: How – if at all – does your preparation change when competing in a team competition such as the Ryder Cup in comparison to individual competitions?
Johnson: A piece of advice that I was given that I give to these young guys when it comes to preparing: When it comes to what you need to bring, it’s pretty simple. That’s kind of the way I operate. It is going to be the most pressure-packed golf of your career, but you’re on the team for a reason, so you do not need to change who you are. Whoever you may be, whatever style of game you have, just bring it, because you’re here for a reason. You do not need to go over there and start playing a draw just because of the hole setup. Just be yourself on and off the golf course. My goal is to make the most uncomfortable week the most comfortable as possible for these guys. That sounds difficult, and it is difficult, but it’s true. So, that’s on me now. I’m going to rely on our statisticians to formulate this team and try to put some tandems together that really help us score points because we want to win.