Holt's Zach Johnson finds consistency on the course in strong final season
Zach Johnson wasn't always confident in his ability and how he compared to other golfers in the past.
That mentality has changed this spring for the Holt senior golfer.
Johnson has proved himself among the best in Greater Lansing and beyond with his performances this season for the Rams. The latest came last week when Johnson finished as the medalist at a Division 1 regional at Midland to earn a trip to this weekend's state finals.
The regional title earned Johnson his first trip to the state finals and has been part of a season where finished as individual runner-up in the CAAC Blue and the medalist at the CAAC Open.
"I think this season went way better than last season," said Johnson, who was voted the LSJ high school athlete of the week. "I think all around I've improved from every skill point like putting, my irons and driving. Last summer I played in a lot of tournaments and I think that got me ready for the end of this year because regionals was kind of a little nerve-wracking going into it. I think playing regionals last year helped me with regionals this year."
What has unfolded this season has come as no surprise to Holt coach Brian Kosloski, who has seen flashes in the past of what Johnson could do.
"It was coming for him," Kosloski said. "Last year he would have a good round here and there. It was even coming for him as a sophomore. You could see that it was there for him. He kept getting close here and there and throughout the season. It finally started to break through for him over the last third of the season. Everything started coming together all at the same time for him. That's a testament to his hard work."
Consistency has been one of the big things for Johnson, who has developed that from the large amount of time spent working on his game. Johnson will try to keep his momentum going and continue his consistency when he closes his high school career at Grand Valley State's The Meadows this weekend.
"I think it's super rewarding," Johnson said of ending his career at the finals. "I think it's a good opportunity for me to get my name around and just have a good time. This is my last high school match my whole life. I think I'm going to take the opportunity to soak it in and try to enjoy it as much as possible."
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Holt golfer Zach Johnson mounting strong finish to career
