Zach Johnson is relishing every second of it. For the first time since the Ryder Cup debacle, the 47-year-old is making headlines for all the right reasons. The U.S. team captain is competing against his Ryder Cup teammates at the American Express and outclassing them.

Johnson carded a bogey-free first round, with seven birdies on the front nine and three on the back, to climb to the top of the leaderboard. He has comfortably edged past seven of his Ryder Cup teammates, all of whom rank within the top 30. How does Zach Johnson feel?

Johnson cherishes these rare moments of glory

This is his 14th outing at La Quinta. Johnson relished the opportunity to play against the younger guys. Calling it a “luxury,” the two-time Major winner told the journalists, “They kind of keep me young to some degree. Motivated. Just watching them is, to say it’s impressive would be an understatement.”

The Ryder Cup captain recalled that “There’s a bunch of ’em playing.” He named a few: “Xander (Schauffele) and Wyndham (Clark), Scottie Scheffler, Burnsy (Sam Burns), Patrick (Patrick Cantlay), Rickie (Rickie Fowler), JT (Justin Thomas), a lot of the team’s here.” But he was pretty sure that he was “missing somebody.” Johnson didn’t, actually.

Among the bunch, only Schauffele and Cantlay are closest to him on the leaderboard, both tied for the fifth spot. Justin Thomas sits at 14th, whereas Burns is at 23 and Scheffler is at 39. Rickie Fowler is way behind at 98th after the first round. Johnson patted them on the back nonetheless. “Pretty awesome they want to come here, too. It’s great for AmEx (American Express) because I think it’s one of our better tournaments to support this area,” the 2015 Open Champion said.

But Zach Johnson, 47, accepts his days might soon be over. “It’s probably going to come to an end sooner than I know, so I’ll relish it,” the 12-time PGA Tour winner admitted. What about the 2025 Ryder Cup, though? Does it also hint that his stint ended with the Marco Simone thrashing?

Will Zach Johnson stay as the Ryder Cup captain?

Johnson’s stint as the man-in-charge of the U.S. Ryder Cup team was marred by controversies. First, fans and analysts lashed at him for his six Captain’s picks. Then a British Media report claimed that the US. the dressing room is fractured, putting a question mark on his leadership capabilities.

Read More: The Ryder Cup: Top 5 Controversial Moments

While Luke Donald, the European captain, has been handed the job for another year, Johnson’s future doesn’t look so secure. Netizens have cried for Tiger Woods, but his willingness is doubtful. Amid the uncertainty, Zach Johnson is rather content playing on his favorite course, jousting against his Ryder Cup ‘boys.’ He is also eyeing his maiden victory in eight years.

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