How wrong was that guy who heckled Zach Johnson on Saturday at the BMW Championship?
Zach Johnson doesn't suck. In fact, he's the latest winner on the PGA Tour.
Johnson shot 6-under 65 in the final round of the weather-delayed BMW Championship on Monday, taking the third leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs by two shots over the latest Mr. 59, Jim Furyk.
On the final green on Monday, Johnson reached the par 5 in three shots. Knowing he needed just two putts to secure his first PGA Tour win of 2013, the 2007 Masters champion coaxed his ball down within gimme range of the hole. The crowed roared, saluting a brilliant final round.
What a different scene from Saturday.
Johnson and Nick Watney were in the penultimate group for the third round of the BMW Championship. They arrived to the last hole, both with birdie putts. Johnson was second to hit his, and it missed on the low side. As Johnson was walking to the hole, a fan shouted at Johnson, "Zach, you suck!"
Appalled, Johnson looked back in the fan's direction. Shortly thereafter, Johnson and Watney found themselves verbally confronting the fan. Johnson got no satisfaction from the incident. The fan wasn't immediately kicked out as he had hoped and, instead, was left to exit the green with a 2-under 69.
Had he teed off on Sunday, maybe Johnson could have still been affected by the heckler. Mother Nature intervened, however, and pushed Johnson's tee time to Monday morning. The result? Perfect golf.
Johnson made six birdies and no bogeys, passing Jim Furyk with circles on his card for two of the last three holes.
Not only is Johnson's final-round performance a validation of his talent and a repudiation of that moron fan, but it also is good karma for a decision he made to skip the first leg of the playoffs at The Barclays to attend his brother's wedding. In the subsequent playoff events, Johnson qualified on merit for the Presidents Cup team at the Deutsche Bank Championship and walked away from the third leg with a win and in prime position to control his own destiny in winning the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bounty.
After a relative blip at the Deutsche Bank -- a T-27 finish -- Johnson resumed the strong play that has him among the best golfers in the world in the last two months. Johnson has played seven times on the PGA Tour in that span, finishing outside of the top eight just that one time.
The win is his 10th on the PGA Tour and perhaps his biggest since winning the green jacket six years ago. With another great week at East Lake starting Thursday, Johnson could claim a whole lot more green at the end of these FedEx Cup playoffs.
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