The Fort Worth Press - Zach Johnson, 49, turns back time with 66 in Masters charge

USD -
AED 3.673005
AFN 72.60167
ALL 87.697242
AMD 390.680153
ANG 1.802235
AOA 912.000157
ARS 1198.24475
AUD 1.576017
AWG 1.8025
AZN 1.701076
BAM 1.725551
BBD 2.020936
BDT 121.61262
BGN 1.72346
BHD 0.376905
BIF 2975.706805
BMD 1
BND 1.316958
BOB 6.916083
BRL 5.887298
BSD 1.00094
BTN 85.767726
BWP 13.806064
BYN 3.275501
BYR 19600
BZD 2.010508
CAD 1.393385
CDF 2875.000032
CHF 0.814699
CLF 0.025263
CLP 969.450291
CNY 7.34846
CNH 7.328365
COP 4351
CRC 505.714878
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 97.28392
CZK 22.060416
DJF 177.720448
DKK 6.56869
DOP 61.15922
DZD 132.495095
EGP 50.980104
ERN 15
ETB 132.530383
EUR 0.87981
FJD 2.29205
FKP 0.759054
GBP 0.75383
GEL 2.750241
GGP 0.759054
GHS 15.486415
GIP 0.759054
GMD 72.091133
GNF 8658.224047
GTQ 7.704168
GYD 209.370358
HKD 7.75774
HNL 25.853589
HRK 6.636401
HTG 131.231808
HUF 361.462175
IDR 16807.80372
ILS 3.689885
IMP 0.759054
INR 86.040769
IQD 1309.241503
IRR 42075.459556
ISK 127.742754
JEP 0.759054
JMD 158.014158
JOD 0.708985
JPY 142.36796
KES 129.64322
KGS 87.476633
KHR 3995.865461
KMF 433.124986
KPW 899.964411
KRW 1423.08398
KWD 0.306695
KYD 0.829462
KZT 517.756531
LAK 21634.222053
LBP 89850.096048
LKR 298.260729
LRD 199.817803
LSL 18.895463
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.604891
LYD 5.539782
MAD 9.287418
MDL 17.633783
MGA 4539.674017
MKD 54.088199
MMK 2099.517749
MNT 3535.475321
MOP 7.987712
MRU 39.52503
MUR 44.66925
MVR 15.439635
MWK 1733.000261
MXN 20.112565
MYR 4.414562
MZN 63.818751
NAD 18.895463
NGN 1605.52968
NIO 36.76624
NOK 10.62595
NPR 137.729761
NZD 1.690774
OMR 0.384981
PAB 1
PEN 3.72656
PGK 4.12781
PHP 57.047826
PKR 280.425415
PLN 3.775019
PYG 8000.763962
QAR 3.639728
RON 4.382553
RSD 103.191063
RUB 82.252434
RWF 1416.424274
SAR 3.750028
SBD 8.499663
SCR 14.451838
SDG 600.259621
SEK 9.84899
SGD 1.31631
SHP 0.785843
SLE 22.749835
SLL 20969.483762
SOS 570.658119
SRD 36.737664
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.750067
SYP 13001.858269
SZL 18.895463
THB 33.579294
TJS 10.868856
TMT 3.497727
TND 2.998031
TOP 2.404719
TRY 38.113565
TTD 6.789611
TWD 32.370631
TZS 2664.751019
UAH 41.342909
UGX 3667.122708
UYU 42.673388
UZS 12954.403222
VES 78.252633
VND 25794.219208
VUV 122.801621
WST 2.806397
XAF 577.499982
XAG 0.030853
XAU 0.000304
XCD 2.706134
XDR 0.73879
XOF 577.499982
XPF 105.058836
YER 245.377193
ZAR 19.061119
ZMK 9001.201607
ZMW 28.306195
ZWL 321.999592
  • RBGPF

    63.5900

    63.59

    +100%

  • CMSD

    -0.0300

    21.88

    -0.14%

  • CMSC

    -0.0100

    21.8

    -0.05%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0600

    9.64

    -0.62%

  • VOD

    0.1500

    9.11

    +1.65%

  • RIO

    0.2500

    57.26

    +0.44%

  • RELX

    1.3900

    51.51

    +2.7%

  • GSK

    0.4000

    35.68

    +1.12%

  • BTI

    0.3100

    42.32

    +0.73%

  • SCS

    -0.2800

    9.95

    -2.81%

  • NGG

    1.5900

    70.98

    +2.24%

  • JRI

    0.2735

    12.27

    +2.23%

  • BCE

    -0.4100

    21.24

    -1.93%

  • BCC

    -1.0400

    93.87

    -1.11%

  • AZN

    -0.1400

    67.87

    -0.21%

  • BP

    0.3000

    27.21

    +1.1%

Zach Johnson, 49, turns back time with 66 in Masters charge
Zach Johnson, 49, turns back time with 66 in Masters charge / Photo: © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

Zach Johnson, 49, turns back time with 66 in Masters charge

Zach Johnson made an impressive charge in Saturday's third round of the Masters, the 2007 champion firing a six-under par 66 to jump among the leaders from the cutline.

Text size:

The 49-year-old American, who made the two-over cut Friday on the number despite a bogey at 18, roared down the back nine at Augusta National on Saturday to finish 54 holes on four-under 212.

"Today was an extreme example of the fruits of my labor showing up," said Johnson. "I've seen the work and the results of hitting the face and seeing the line on putts. It just hasn't showed (in results).

"I don't know if today is a flash, but today was, for lack of a better term, a stroll in the park. I didn't feel like it was work... man, I was in control."

Johnson sank a 41-foot eagle putt at the par-five second hole to reach level par for the tournament. He answered a bogey after chipping over the green at the par-three sixth with an eight-foot birdie putt at the ninth and a 10-foot birdie putt at the 10th.

That's when Johnson pressed the attack, sinking a 13-foot birdie putt at Amen Corner's treacherous par-three 12th and dropping his approach to two feet at the par-five 13th to set up another birdie.

He followed with approaches to three feet at the par-five 15th and inches from the hole at the par-three 16th to set up birdie putts, but found a bunker on his approach at 17 and made bogey.

A closing par left Johnson four adrift of England's Justin Rose only minutes before the 36-hole leader began his third round.

"This place can bring out the absolute best in someone," he said. "When you're engulfed by the magnolias, something just hits you."

Ten years after lifting the Claret Jug at the 2015 Open Championship, Johnson was threating to capture a third major title and become the second-oldest major golf champion.

Phil Mickelson won the 2021 PGA Championship at age 50 to become the oldest major winner. The late Julius Boros is second-oldest, at 48 when he won the 1968 PGA Championship.

Johnson won his first major 18 years ago at Augusta National, beating Tiger Woods Retief Goosen and Rory Sabbatini by two strokes. He fired a one-over par 289 to match the highest winning score in Masters history.

Johnson also took the 2015 Open Championship at St. Andrews in a playoff over Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman.

That victory lifted Johnson onto an exclusive list of major winners at iconic courses Augusta National and St. Andrews that includes Woods, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Sam Snead and Jack Nicklaus.

- 'Icing on the cake' -

Johnson, however, has not won any title since then. His futility run also includes being captain of the 2023 US Ryder Cup team that lost to Europe in Italy.

"It's not like I'm playing that much," Johnson said. "I don't hit the ball far enough to compete on some of these venues, but it doesn't mean I can't have a decent finish. It doesn't mean I can't make cuts. It doesn't mean I can't still do it."

While Johnson stressed it was only one round, it was enough to boost his joy at playing at Augusta National.

"When you're playing on some place you love and you're familiar with, when these green jackets want you here, you want to play good," said Johnson.

"It's just icing on the cake if you do."

D.Ford--TFWP