Zach Johnson wins Valero Texas Open

Zach Johnson held off the challenge of Charlie Wi, Tim Wilkinson and Mark Wilson to win the Valero Texas Open

Zach Johnson

Zach Johnson salvaged his season with victory in the Valero Texas Open. It was his first PGA Tour title won outside the State of Georgia and his first victory since the 2007 AT&T.

Charl Schwartzel wins the Madrid Masters

Having missed out on the FedEx Cup playoffs, Johnson was languishing way down the money list so the winner s cheque for $810,000 was a welcome reward.

This week, I was just concentrating on the process not the outcome," Johnson said. I just rededicated myself to getting back to what I used to do."

Charlie Wi fired a superb final round of 61 and could have recorded a 59 had he birdied the final two holes. He finished just two shots back of Johnson. "I didn't look at the scoreboard until I got to the 15th hole. Wi said. "I was very happy to make those birdies on the 15th and

16th. I wish I could have made one more."

Johnson has worked hard on his putting over the past few weeks and the effort clearly paid off as he played the final two rounds in 14 under par. He climbed from 125th to 55th on the money list.

South Africa s Rory Sabbatini led the tournament through 54 holes but he scored a disappointing 72 on the final day to drop into a tie for eighth spot.

1 Zach Johnson (USA) 69 66 62 64 261 $810,000 T2 Charlie Wi (Kor) 67 68 67 61 263 $336,000 T2 Tim Wilkinson (NZ) 67 69 63 64 263 $336,000 T2 Mark Wilson (USA) 68 66 66 63 263 $336,000 5 Jeff Overton (USA) 69 64 67 65 265 $180,000 T6 Stephen Ames (Can) 68 71 66 62 267 $156,375 T6 Chris Stroud (USA) 66 64 69 68 267 $156,375 T8 Tim Herron (USA) 65 67 67 69 268 $130,500 T8 Pat Perez (USA) 71 64 68 65 268 $130,500 T8 Rory Sabbatini (RSA) 67 66 63 72 268 $130,500

Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly. 

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?