Zach Johnson goes after the USGA for the setup of Merion Golf Club at the U.S. Open
It was not a good week for Zach Johnson, a short-hitting type that seems like the type that would succeed on a golf course like Merion. Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion, thrives on hitting the golf ball straight, chalking up a ton of fairways and greens in regulation and making putts.
But apparently this guy is not made for U.S. Opens. In his now 10 starts in this championship Johnson has exactly zero top-10s and soon to be five missed cuts including this week, where Johnson shot 74-77.
If the week wasn't bad enough for the nine-time PGA Tour winner he went after the USGA after his Friday round, saying they did a disservice to Merion Golf Club by setting it up the way they did.
Via this Golf Channel report ...
“I would describe the whole golf course as manipulated,” Johnson said. “It just enhances my disdain for the USGA and how it manipulates golf courses."
I have a few problems with going after the USGA about the setup of their championship, but most of it simply sounds like a guy whining after playing some bad golf.
Everybody in the field has to play the same golf course, and the current leaderboard is littered with all sorts of different talents. Luke Donald doesn't boom the golf ball off the tee but is precise with his irons while Nicolas Colsaerts hits drives that seem to never return to Earth.
Johnson went on to say, “I think Merion is a great golf course, if you let Merion be, but that is not the agenda," which again doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. If you hate the way the course is setup then say it early in the week, because waiting until you're 11-over par and slamming your trunk just makes you sound like a frustrated golfer that is blaming anything but himself for a poor week.
