LA QUINTA, Calif. — Zach Johnson knows he didn’t work as hard as he normally would on his golf game last year as his duties as U.S. Ryder Cup captain naturally took over his priorities.
“Now it’s time to get back to work,” Johnson said after an opening-round 10-under 62 for a share of the first-round lead in The American Express in La Quinta. “I’ve enjoyed the work. I’ve enjoyed the sweat. Love what I’m doing off the golf course, on the golf course.”
Johnson’s round of 10 birdies, including six in a row to close his front nine at La Quinta Country Club, still only gave him a share of the lead with Alex Noren, who played the same course in near-perfect weather for the 65th annual PGA Tour event.
Two other golfers, Rico Hoey and Christiaan Bezuidenhout, joined the cavalry charge up the leaderboard with 63s. Among the nine players at 64 are Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay and amateur Nick Dunlap, the current U.S. Amateur champion in the field on a sponsor’s exemption.
“La Quinta Country Club is legitimately one of the purest places we play on the PGA Tour year-in, year-out,” Johnson said. “The grass is — it’s almost looks fake. If you have it going and you have some sort of rhythm and you’re seeing the lines on the putting green, because they’re pure, you can put a number up.”
For Johnson, an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour including Masters and British Open titles, 2023 was mostly about leading the U.S. Ryder Cup team. While the United States fell to Europe in the matches, Johnson said the experience and being around the younger players in the game may have rejuvenated his own game.
American Express: Photos | Friday tee times
“I relish that. I think that’s a luxury. I think that’s somewhat of my tenure,” said the 47-year-old Johnson. “They kind of keep me young to some degree, motivated. Just watching them is, to say it’s impressive would be an understatement. So, I say all that as far as their golf game goes, but the most impressive thing to me is who they are.”
Johnson started his round at La Quinta slowly with one birdie in his first three holes. But he caught fire after that on La Quinta’s scoring holes in the middle of the front nine, making six consecutive birdies including on the consecutive short par-5s at Nos. 5 and 6. That produced a 7-under 29 on the front nine, and he added three birdies on the back nine.
Noren also made 10 birdies at La Quinta, but added an eagle on the 13th hole and a double bogey on the 17th hole as part of his opening nine.
“I don’t think I’ve been 7 under after 7 and then I hit it out of bounds on the eighth hole, or my eighth hole,” Noren said. “Then, you know, played a little worse in the middle, couldn’t really get the ball the right distance into the greens. Then came down with five birdies on the last.”
Bezuidenhout had his own bogey-free round at La Quinta for his 63, but Hoey shot his round at the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West. Scott Stallings and Hayden Springer had the low scores of the day on the Pete Dye Stadium Course at PGA West with their 64s.
Johnson said his offseason work with club manufacturer PXG has helped his game at the start of the new season.
“PXG has really honed in on what they feel is best for me, and I’m encouraged with that, which is awesome. All systems go,” said Johnson, who credits his round with so many iron shots hit in the middle of the face. “It’s just one day, so I got to keep the ship straight and narrow and hopefully keep it going.”
Rico Hoey tees off on the 10th hole of the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif., Jan. 18, 2023.
Johnson also couldn’t stop raving about the course he played.
“I adore it. I think it’s a gem. From a condition standpoint it’s legitimately one of the best facilities I’ve ever set foot on, and I know my peers, I’m confident they would say the same,” he said. “It’s not big, it’s not intimidating, necessarily, from a distance standpoint, but you got to shape your ball.”
Hoey was equally enthused with the Nicklaus Tournament Course, a track he played many times as a Southern California junior star. The conditions were slightly better Thursday with calm winds and temperatures in the 70s than when he played as a junior.
“It was so hot,” Hoey said of the junior golf tournaments he used to play in the desert summer. “They would tee us off, like, first off. So a kid who is, like, 10 years old, trying to push his cart out here at, whatever, 100-degree weather, that would have been pretty bad. We would tee off first and pace of play was awesome. This is awesome, this is so good.”
Now 28 and a full-time member of the PGA Tour, Hoey had nine birdies and missed out on a share of the lead with a missed four-footer on his final hole.
“It was kind of cool having everyone out here, my family, my dad, girlfriend, coaches, everyone out here,” said Hoey. “It feels like a home event for me, I only live an hour away. I grew up out here, playing junior tournaments out here, so, it was fun.”
The golfers will switch courses Friday, with Johnson heading to the Nicklaus Tournament Course.
“New day. Going to keep doing what I’m doing,” Johnson said. “My process has been great with my caddie, trying to hit the middle of the fairways as much as possible and that’s worked out well, so it’s just that. Stay in the moment. Stay right where my feet are.”
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