Zach Johnson recalls the “surreal moment” he was informed about the Ryder Cup captaincy for the first time

With 26 professional victories (12 on the PGA Tour, 2 majors) Zach Johnson is no stranger to thrills. However, February 2022 marks one of the most memorable moments of his career. An event that Johnson himself described as "surreal."

On that date, Zach Johnson received the call in which he was offered the captaincy of the American team to the 2023 Ryder Cup. According to Johnson, he was not expecting this appointment, even though several people had told him that he would be good for the job.

Zach Johnson recalled that moment in a recent interview for Esquire magazine:

"I had no idea. I was skiing with my family in early February of ‘22, out in Colorado. And I got a couple emails, and then I got a phone call that said, 'Hey, we need you to pop on a Zoom.' I'm thinking it's like, more or less handing off the torch, or whatever you want to call it, to a new Ryder Cup committee member. Anyway, all the gentlemen that were on the call said, 'Hey, we'd love for you to take the torch.' It was a surreal moment."

He added:

"It's not like I said yes, and they fully appreciated that. They're like, 'Well, we're not expecting you to...' I'm not sure why I would say no to this. Peers of mine, even before that, were like, 'You know what? Hey, you'd be really good. You should, if given the opportunity, do this.' ... Tiger Woods. Jimmy Furyk, Phil [Mickleson], Strick [Steve Stricker], and even the younger guys, too ... I must be doing something somewhat right."

Zach Johnson already has half of his team's roster covered with the six players who qualified directly (Scottie Scheffler, Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark, Max Homa, Xander Schauffele, and Patrick Cantlay). He's yet to select his other six competitors.

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Zach Johnson at the Ryder Cup

As a player, Zach Johnson, 47, participated in five editions of the Ryder Cup (2006, 10, 12, 14, and 16). He was only able to become champion in his last appearance in the event.

Johnson's overall record in the Ryder Cup is eight wins, seven losses, and two draws in 17 matches. This performance earned him nine points for the American cause. His best performance was in the well-remembered 2012 edition (the Miracle at Medinah), where he earned three points in four matches (three wins, one loss).

At Medinah, Johnson was one of only three Americans to win their individual matches on the final day. With eight wins and one draw that Sunday, the European team cut a four-point lead held by the Americans and managed to retain the Ryder Cup they had won two years earlier.

Johnson's best performance was undoubtedly in the individual matches. Of the five he played, he only lost one (against Darren Clarke, in his rookie year). He won three and drew one (against Victor Dubuisson in 2014).