Johnson paired with Donald as he returns to defend title

Published on 09/04/2008 00:49

BY WAY of confounding the perceived wisdom about Augusta National – that the lengthening of the course turned the Masters into a big hitter's paradise – there could have been no more persuasive rebuttal of a flawed theory in 2007 than the success of Zach Johnson.

A medium to short hitter off the tee who couldn't reach any of the par 5s even with two mighty swipes, Johnson staved off the challenges of Tiger Woods & Co by playing all the long holes as three shot challenges. The success of the strategy was the key to the Iowa golfer becoming an unlikely Masters champion. He played the par 5s in 11 under par and pitched and putted with the feverish intensity of all those who wear green jackets.

Johnson's ability to control trajectory and backspin with his wedges was instrumental in fending off the power games of those who reached the vicinity of the green in two shots. Needing to make up in accuracy what he lost out on in length, the American made light of a driving average of 265 yards by repeatedly landing his ball in exactly the right spots. It was like a re-telling of David and Goliath.

Whether he repeats that successful strategy this week remains to be seen. The weather in Augusta this year is warmer than 12 months ago and he may change tack. "There's some par 5s that I would definitely go for, given the right scenario," Johnson volunteered yesterday. "Last year it was cold and the ball didn't go very far. It's going to be a day to day thing."

Still, Johnson knows accuracy will be the key to emulating last spring's elevation to the exalted rank of major winners. He expects the predicted dry weather to enhance the prospects of the short hitters. The American sat beside Tim Clark on a flight recently – the former Scottish Open champion was runner-up at the 2006 Masters – when the South African coined the interesting argument that the lengthening of the course had actually helped the short hitters. "He hits it really, really straight, so I guess it really doesn't matter how far you hit it as long as you hit it straight," ventured the reigning champion.

Johnson will have a straight arrow for company in Luke Donald on Thursday and Friday while the third member of the champion's group is Geoff Ogilvy, who kept the ball in play often enough two years ago to win a US Open title.

By way of contrast, the emphasis in Tiger Woods' group is on blockbuster prowess. Reigning US Open champion Angel Cabrera and Australia's Stuart Appleby are no slouches when it comes to gripping and ripping.

Scotland's sole representative at the 2008 Masters, Sandy Lyle, has escaped a pairing with the old timers this time round and tees up at 5.51pm BST tomorrow with Americans John Rollins and JB Holmes.

Tee-off times in the first round of the USPGA Tour The Masters, Augusta National, Thursday 10 April (USA unless stated, all times BST):

1300 Ben Curtis, Shaun Micheel

1311 Fuzzy Zoeller, Brett Wetterich, Heath Slocum

1322 Mark O'Meara, Trip Kuehne (x), Ian Poulter (Eng)

1333 Larry Mize, Peter Lonard (Aus), Hunter Mahan

1344 Gary Player (Rsa), Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), D. Trahan

1355 Justin Leonard, Charles Howell III, Nick Watney

1406 Scott Verplank, Robert Allenby (Aus), Michael Campbell (Nzl)

1417 Ben Crenshaw, Michael Thompson (x), Nick O'Hern (Aus)

1428 Steve Lowery, Robert Karlsson (Swe), Nick Dougherty (Eng)

1439 Fred Couples, Jerry Kelly, Anders Hansen (Den) 1450 Vaughn Taylor, Martin Kaymer (Ger), Arron Oberholser

1512 Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa), Wen-chong Liang (Chn), Rory Sabbatini (Rsa)

1523 Zach Johnson, Luke Donald (Eng), Geoff Ogilvy (Aus)

1534 Mike Weir (Can), Padraig Harrington (Irl), Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind)

1545 Tiger Woods, Angel Cabrera (Arg), Stuart Appleby (Aus)

1556 Henrik Stenson (Swe), Justin Rose (Eng), Toru Taniguchi (Jpn)

1607 Todd Hamilton, Brian Bateman

1618 Craig Stadler, Steve Flesch, Johnson Wagner

1629 Ian Woosnam (Wal), Stephen Ames (Can), Richard Green (Aus) 1640 Boo Weekley, Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Sean O'Hair

1651 Sandy Lyle (Sco), J.B. Holmes, John Rollins

1702 Soren Hansen (Den), Daniel Chopra (Swe), Richard Sterne (Rsa)

1724 Tom Watson, Brandt Snedeker, John Senden (Aus)

1735 Tim Clark (Rsa), David Toms, Niclas Fasth (Swe)

1746 Ray Floyd, Jonathan Byrd, Drew Weaver (x)

1757 Bernhard Langer (Ger), Prayad Marksaeng (Tha), Woody Austin

1808 Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia (Spa), Mark Calcavecchia

1819 Adam Scott (Aus), Paul Casey (Eng), Retief Goosen (Rsa) 1830 Vijay Singh (Fij), Steve Stricker, Stewart Cink

1841 Phil Mickelson, Andres Romero (Arg), KJ Choi (Kor)

1852 Ernie Els (Rsa), Shingo Katayama (Jpn), Jim Furyk

1903 Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Camilo Villegas (Col), Lee Westwood (Eng)

(x) denotes amateurs

Second round, Friday 11 April

1300 Todd Hamilton, Brian Bateman

1311 Craig Stadler, Johnson Wagner, Steve Flesch

1322 Ian Woosnam (Wal), Richard Green (Aus), Stephen Ames (Can)

1333 Boo Weekley, Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Sean O'Hair

1344 Sandy Lyle (Sco), John Rollins, J.B. Holmes

1355 Soren Hansen (Den), Daniel Chopra (Swe), Richard Sterne (Rsa)

1406 Tom Watson, Brandt Snedeker, John Senden (Aus)

1417 Tim Clark (Rsa), David Toms, Niclas Fasth (Swe)

1428 Ray Floyd, Drew Weaver (x), Jonathan Byrd

1439 Bernhard Langer (Ger), Prayad Marksaeng (Tha), Woody Austin 1450 Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia (Spa), Mark Calcavecchia

1512 Adam Scott (Aus), Paul Casey (Eng), Retief Goosen (Rsa)

1523 Vijay Singh (Fij), Steve Stricker, Stewart Cink

1534 Phil Mickelson, Andres Romero (Arg), KJ Choi (Kor)

1545 Ernie Els (Rsa), Shingo Katayama (Jpn), Jim Furyk

1556 Camilo Villegas (Col), Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Lee Westwood (Eng)

1607 Ben Curtis, Shaun Micheel

1618 Fuzzy Zoeller, Heath Slocum, Brett Wetterich

1629 Mark O'Meara, Ian Poulter (Eng), Trip Kuehne (x) 1640 Larry Mize, Peter Lonard (Aus), Hunter Mahan

1651 Gary Player (Rsa), D. Trahan, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa)

1702 Justin Leonard, Charles Howell III, Nick Watney

1724 Scott Verplank, Robert Allenby (Aus), Michael Campbell (Nzl)

1735 Ben Crenshaw, Michael Thompson (x), Nick O'Hern (Aus)

1746 Steve Lowery, Nick Dougherty (Eng), Robert Karlsson (Swe)

1757 Fred Couples, Jerry Kelly, Anders Hansen (Den)

1808 Vaughn Taylor, Martin Kaymer (Ger), Arron Oberholser

1819 Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa), Wen-chong Liang (Chn), Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 1830 Zach Johnson, Luke Donald (Eng), Geoff Ogilvy (Aus)

1841 Mike Weir (Can), Padraig Harrington (Irl), Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind)

1852 Tiger Woods, Angel Cabrera (Arg), Stuart Appleby (Aus)

1903 Justin Rose (Eng), Henrik Stenson (Swe), Toru Taniguchi (Jpn)