OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – As a son of the Midwest, Zach Johnson surprisingly was not a Cubs fan while growing up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Perhaps even more shocking, as Johnson stood on the grounds at Wrigley Field this week while holding the Claret Jug from his British Open victory, is that he’s still not partial to the lovable losers of Chicago’s North Side.
The Cubbies could use some of Johnson’s grit. At 39, Johnson, honored at a recent Cubs game, is the classic overachiever in golf. He struggled for years on various mini-tours – think baseball’s equivalent of a long-time minor-leaguer finally breaking into The Show – before earning his way onto the PGA Tour in 2004.