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Zach Johnson: 2021 FedEx Cup Contender or Pretender?

By Tim Letcher

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 14: Zach Johnson of the United States lines up a putt on the ninth green during the third round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on November 14, 2020 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 14: Zach Johnson of the United States lines up a putt on the ninth green during the third round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on November 14, 2020 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Veteran Zach Johnson has placed in the Top 10 in the FedEx Cup three times. Can he be a factor in this year’s postseason?

With the 2020 portion of the PGA Tour schedule in the books, we at Pro Golf Now will be taking a look at the current top 50, and some selected others, in the current FedEx Cup standings and whether they are contenders or pretenders for the 2021 FedEx Cup. Our latest subject is the current No. 45, Zach Johnson.

Best career FedEx Cup finish: ZJ has finished in the Top 10 in the FedEx Cup standings three times. He was seventh in 2007 and sixth in 2009. But his best finish came in 2013 when he finished fifth. That season, he won the BMW Championship, helping vault him up the standings.

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So far this season: Johnson has had a decent season so far, making six starts this fall. His first start of the season was at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, where he was in the mix with 18 holes to play. But a final round of 74 dropped him into a tie for eighth place.

Two weeks later, ZJ rallied on the weekend at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He shot 68-69 to move into a tie for 23rd. The following week, Johnson opened with a 65 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He followed that with rounds of 68-68-67, which ultimately left him in a tie for 19th place.

After a couple of weeks off, Johnson returned but his game was still on vacation.

At the Houston Open, ZJ started with a 73 and never really recovered. He did shoot a 69 on Saturday but he would ultimately finish in a tie for 50th place.

The following week, Johnson returned to the Masters, the site of one of his two major championships. However, that wasn’t to be this year, as he shot four rounds in the 70s and finished in a tie for 51st place.

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The next week, Johnson had four rounds in the 60s, including a 66 on Thursday and a 65 on Saturday, at the RSM Classic. He would finish in a tie for sixth, his second top 10 on the young season.

The verdict: Johnson certainly still has enough game to compete for the FedEx Cup. It would take a lot of things to fall into place for him, including in the majors and the playoffs, but he could contend if all things were right. But the guess here is that there will be too many obstacles to overcome, so we are calling ZJ a pretender.

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