Zach Johnson: My emotional wrench at parting with Claret Jug

Zach Johnson found it easier to win the Claret Jug 12 months ago than hand it back, as he freely admitted after relinquishing 'ownership' of the coveted trophy soon after arriving at Royal Troon yesterday ahead of his title defence on the Ayrshire coast this week.
Defending champion Zach Johnson lines up a putt on the first green during practice at Royal Troon. Picture: Ben Stansall/Getty ImagesDefending champion Zach Johnson lines up a putt on the first green during practice at Royal Troon. Picture: Ben Stansall/Getty Images
Defending champion Zach Johnson lines up a putt on the first green during practice at Royal Troon. Picture: Ben Stansall/Getty Images

It required the 2015 Champion Golfer of the Year being mentally prepared, in fact, for the silverware’s return to R&A hands.

“My psychologist, Dr Mo (Pickens), and I have been talking about having to give the Claret Jug back, which I did within the last hour,” said Johnson, who holed a good birdie putt on the 72nd green at St Andrews in last year’s event before beating South African Louis Oosthuizen and Australian Marc Leishman in a play-off to claim his second major title. “It was not pleasant. That thing has a lot of weight to it in the sense that it represents golf and sports, as far as I am concerned.”

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Over the past 12 months, it has sat on the 50-yard line on the American Football field at Kinnick Stadium in Johnson’s home state, Iowa, and visited various other places close to his heart. He revealed that he’d “parted emotionally” with it before leaving home but had one final drink out of it before handing it over to Martin Slumbers, the R&A chief executive. “I’m staying in a house with some buddies and we had wine out of it,” he revealed. “It is a Claret Jug decanter, so it serves its purpose in that regard, too.”

Johnson was quick to correct the first person to talk about him having triumphed on a Sunday at St Andrews when, of course, that victory came on a Monday after the event spilled over following weather delays in Fife. He did so with a smile, though, and he was positively beaming as he then recalled the immediate aftermath of that triumph.

“Having Mr Dawson (Peter, the then R&A chief executive) hand over that piece of silverware is something I’ll never forget,” he said. “Jordan [Spieth] coming out and giving me a hug was pretty cool. I won’t forget that due to him being a good friend.”

Time will tell if the name Johnson is being etched by the event’s official engraver, Garry Harvey, on the Claret Jug again on Sunday night, but, if it is, there’s a fair chance it will be preceded by Dustin rather than Zach on this occasion. It was inevitable that Johnson was going to be asked about his namesake after “DJ” finally made his big breakthrough in last month’s US Open and he certainly didn’t turn prickly. Totally opposite, in fact. “I’m one of his biggest fans,” declared the 40-year-old. “There are only so many guys you can watch and he’s one. He’s a supreme athlete. Very talented. There’s not many –probably ten on Tour – that can hit the shots he does. But what stands out for me is his short game, which is way better than people give him credit.”

Johnson probably never got the credit he deserved after winning the Masters in 2007, but certainly earned lots of respect 12 months ago as he came out on top when both Spieth, who was chasing the grand slam at the time, and Jason Day were among those in the mix on the last day. Now he is defending the title at the venue where he made his debut in the world’s oldest major in 2004. “The memories are brief because I only played two rounds,” he said, smiling, of missing the cut after rounds of 73 and 76. “But my love for this golf tournament was immense and immediate. It’s my favourite to play in. It magnifies your weaknesses more than any other tournament, but it also magnifies your strenghths.”

According to world No 1 Jason Day, Johnson can’t be ruled out this week, even though Padraig Harrington, who achieved the feat in 2008, is the last player to successfully defend this title.

The chance to get that iconic piece of silverware on Sunday night will certainly be Johnson’s driving force. “It’s just so much fun having the ability to have that Claret Jug for a portion of your life and I guess technically that I’m still Champion Golfer of the Year,” he said.