Zach Johnson wins the John Deere Classic
Zach Johnson birdied the second extra hole in the playoffs of the John Deere Classic on Sunday, to record the ninth PGA Tour victory of his career and the second of the 2012 golf season.
Johnson started off his round four strokes behind the overnight leader, Troy Matteson, and carded six birdies to reach the 20-under par mark for the tournament.
Meanwhile, Matteson mixed four birdies and an outstanding eagle with two bogeys and a double bogey to sign his scorecard with the same score as Johnson and entered the sudden death playoffs.
Both the players suffered double bogeys on the first extra hole, as Matteson’s second shot from the trees found the water hazard and Johnson tee shot found the pond, costing them penalties in the end.
On the second extra hole, Johnson was again in trouble, as his tee shot landed in a fairway bunker while Matteson had his ball on the fairway.
However, John stunned the spectators with a beautiful chip shot that landed on the green just one foot away from the hole. It was such a perfect shot that it could have found the cup if rolled few inches further.
"How good was that shot?" said Bender, Zach Johnson's swing coach and caddie for the week, as he choked back tears. "Unbelievable. The crowd got louder and louder. I thought, "That's getting close'".
Therefore, he tapped the ball in for a birdie while Matteson missed his chance of a birdie.
It was a great moment for the Johnson to record a win at TPC Deere Run, as he is also a member of the board of directors of the John Deere Classic.
"Most successful board member ever," Tournament Director Clair Peterson joked before Johnson accepted the trophy and a first-place check for $828,000.
"It just feels so awesome," Johnson said. "I can't really put it into words. This tournament has meant so much to me and my family over the years".
In the meantime, Matteson looked really disappointed, as he led the tournament right from the start to the 68th hole, prior to suffering a double bogey on the 16th hole on Sunday.
"My hat's off to Zach," Matteson said. "It's a great story, you know. The hometown kid".
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