Zach Johnson named United States Ryder Cup captain for 2023 in Italy

Zach Johnson has often referred to himself as just an ordinary man from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Family and faith are the pillars in his life. Polite as the day is long. Diligent work ethic, laid-back, approachable, considerate, charitable. A down-to-earth spirit that seldom leaves him, his Midwestern values, if you will, always at the ready.

But Johnson sells himself short, especially when it comes to the emerald stages across the world where he’s done his work. With a green jacket in a locker in the Champions Locker Room at Augusta National and a Claret Jug on his mantle, as well as 10 pieces of hardware saluting his other 10 PGA Tour titles, the word extraordinary would aptly apply in reference to Johnson.

When he won the 2015 Open Championship, he joined Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Sam Snead, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo as the only players to win the Masters and a British Open on the Old Course.

That certainly isn’t ordinary.

And now Johnson can add Ryder Cup captain to his resume.

Johnson, 46, was officially named the captain of the 2023 Ryder Cup for Team USA on Monday at PGA of America headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Johnson has played in the Ryder Cup five times (8-7-2 record) and the Presidents Cup four times (10-6-1) and was an assistant captain the past two editions of the Ryder Cup. He is the 30th captain for Team USA.

His task? To end the USA’s 30-year drought on foreign soil in the 44th edition of the biennial matches against Europe at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy. When the U.S. last won on foreign land in 1993, Johnson was 17.

“I’m extremely excited. I have all the emotions running through me. Pure honor comes to mind more than anything, just knowing that I can lead this great team in Italy and represent my country is flattering,” said Johnson, who has never been to Italy. “I played my first Ryder Cup in 2006, and it was not the way I envisioned it as a team. That being said, it was immediate that I was fixated on it. I loved it, and the team camaraderie, chemistry, everything about it, just grabbed me. I’m a team sports guy, and when you play an individual game and now you’re in this arena as a team, as a band, it was captivating, and I just fully embraced it. I loved everything about it.”

By being named captain, the “ordinary,” proud son of Iowa joins Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and Tom Watson as the only players to win the Masters and an Open Championship and be named the USA Ryder Cup captain.

“When you think about the true legends, you just rambled some off,” Johnson said. “That kind of hit pretty hard right there. I am beyond thankful to be a part of Team USA to any capacity but to serve as the leader is something that, again, my dreams never reached that far.”

Johnson has already begun his work – he named 2021 Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker as one of his assistants.

“I’m pumped and honored to have him along my side,” Johnson said. “Frankly, just the class with which he took this position and led, I admire, and so to have him as a sounding board, an individual I know I can trust and a great friend, a close friend. I’m excited that he wanted to join in.

“He approached it in 2020 was kind of simple. That was the word, right, just keep it simple. He gave those 12 individuals a voice. He gave them freedom to go about their week as if it was a normal tournament even though we know it’s not, but I think the simplicity in that was also quite beautiful.”

Johnson also said he will make six captain’s picks, just as it did in 2021 after COVID-19 wiped out 13 tournaments.

“We like the system. The PGA Ryder Cup Committee really liked the system of six earned berths and six picks,” Johnson said. “We don’t feel like we need to change it.”

And nothing concerning his duties as captain has changed – so far – amidst the potential Saudi Arabia-backed Super Golf League that would siphon off players from the PGA Tour and be a direct rival. Johnson was asked if he would consider making Phil Mickelson a captain’s pick; Mickelson is embroiled in controversy after making derogatory remarks about the PGA Tour and the oppressive Saudi Arabia regime, remarks that led to sponsors dropping him and leading to Mickelson to take time off away from the game.

“Given basically where we are right now, I have no idea what lies ahead as far as my vice captains and who is on this team,” Johnson said. “Given where we are right now and what I know is, one, I am a product of the PGA Tour and I support it fully, and two, nothing has changed in the way I have seen it as of right now.”

Johnson will continue to play a full schedule on the PGA Tour; he is ranked No. 188 in the world and hasn’t won since capturing the 2015 Open Championship. He believes his best golf is still ahead of him and he will use every opportunity during the weeks he plays to further his relationship with players, begin new ones, and answer all questions. The difficulty in winning on foreign soil is certainly not lost on Johnson, and he will not waste any time preparing.

“The way I’m kind of wired is I love when individuals, teams, entities, go into a situation that’s very trying; a situation where they are probably not supposed to, but do,” Johnson said. “I’m not suggesting I had dreams of being in this position because if anything, this exceeded my dreams, but when I had peers of mine say it’s my turn, I should do it; their confidence was high for me to go lead a team across the pond in Europe in Italy, I accepted it with open arms.

“I love going over there and competing. I love stretching myself. I love being uncomfortable. I think that’s kind of an odd thing, but I like when it’s hard.

It is going to be hard. But it’s also just a beautiful opportunity to go out there and give these guys an avenue to be themselves and play with freedom and that’s kind of how I’m going to approach it. I’m looking forward to holding hands with my wife and just getting after it in Italy.”