FanHouse ZachJohnson

Every Monday during the PGA Tour season, Monday Pin Placement will run as a wrap-up of the weekend's action. Basically, we'll focus on what you missed while you were out grinding on the putting green.

Johnson Delivers Another Playoff Victory -- Before April of 2007, Zach Johnson was a relative nobody in the golf world. He'd won the BellSouth Classic back in 2004, but he hadn't been making noise before he headed to Augusta National last year.

Yet twelve strategic lay-ups and a bunch of well played golf had Johnson wearing his first green jacket. Johnson's 2007 Masters win made us believe that golf isn't just about booming tee shots and big names.

It would be easy to blame Zach Johnson's recent Sunday struggles on nerves, but that would conveniently overlook the fact that he owns a green jacket, and that he won the Sony Open in January.

After a rough final round at Quail Hollow two weeks ago (one that CBS's Jim Nantz suggested might have been due to migraines, though he made sure to point out he wasn't making excuses for Johnson; duly noted, Jim, and happy 50th, friend), Johnson stumbled through most of Sunday's round at the Valero Open.

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Tiger would probably be the first to admit that Friday wasn't Tiger Woods' A game. In fact, it might not even have been his B or C game, but Tiger does what Tiger does, and a second round 72 has the top golfer in the world one shot back of the leaders and still very much in the hunt at Quail Hollow.

Bubba Watson and Retief Goosen are both leading at 8-under. The lengthy left-hander Goosen matched Tiger's 30 on the front nine from a day ago, and Retief wound up carding his second straight 68. Watson's 65 on Friday included eight birdies, three bogeys and an eagle. Goosen, meanwhile, has made at least five birdies in each of his first two rounds.

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What, you thought Phil Mickelson's bogey-free round on Thursday was a new leaf he'd turned over? This is swashbuckling Phil, the guy who can make any number on any hole at any tournament. On Friday at the Quail Hollow Championship, Mickelson, who started on No. 10, was off to another impressive start.

Two birdies on 14 and 15 had Phil tied with Tiger Woods at 7-under, but then came the holes called the Green Mile. At the Hollow, those are holes 16-17, the toughest stretch on the course where one errant shot can lead to a big number. Well, one errant shot or putt. Phil four-putted the par-3 17th hole from just over 40 feet for a double-bogey as well as a sudden, shocking drop back to reality.

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The commercial campaign with Phil Mickelson from a few years ago that asked the open-ended question, "What will Phil do next?" is as spot-on today as it was when it came out. It seems that, thanks to his erratic play over the last two weeks, Lefty has been on a rampage to give anyone and everyone in his camp a heart attack.

After his all-over-the-place win at the Northern Trust Open last Sunday, Mickelson came to Marana, Ariz. as the second seed in the Ben Hogan bracket. Now, two days into Accenture Match Play, and many upsets later, Mickelson is the tournament's only hope of keeping the public's interest through the weekend.

Every Monday during the PGA TOUR season, Monday's Pin Placement will run as a wrap-up of the weekend action, with a little commentary mixed in. We will focus on anything you may have missed while you were grinding on the putting green.

Zach Johnson Gets Lei'd -- So much is said about the young golfers these days. We talk about Anthony Kim, Hunter Mahan, Ryan Moore and just about anyone else that is under 30 and has a little game. What is hard for most to realize (because Tiger didn't do it) is most professional golfers don't hit their talent strides until they get to 30.

The reason Johnny Miller is still in the booth for most golf broadcasts is because he can make a non-issue a huge issue in about three words. He's upset Tiger Woods, called Rocco Mediate a "pool boy" and now is questioning the U.S. Ryder Cup picks days before the matches get underway.

Miller said yesterday he thinks Paul Azinger should have bypassed rookie J.B. Holmes, who will be playing in his home state of Kentucky and might very well be the perfect match-play partner with his long drives and streaky putting, for a more veteran player like Scott Verplank. Yeah, Verplank, who has been a good player in his two events but has never been on a winning team. Actually, he's never even been close to a winning team.

"I certainly wouldn't have gone with J.B. Holmes, I tell you that," Miller said yesterday in Louisville, Ky., where the Ryder Cup gets underway Friday.

Miller said he would have chosen Verplank, Mediate, Brandt Snedeker and 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson over Holmes and Campbell, but agreed that his views are like arguing over favorite ice cream flavors.

You know, Miller was an amazing PGA Tour golfer in his heyday with a decent Cup record of 2-2-2, but this is just ridiculous. You want to trade out a rookie that will draw huge American support for Mediate (never played in a Ryder Cup), Snedeker (ditto) or Johnson (1-1-1 in '06)?

"Glory's Last Shot" is upon us, and with He Who Should Not Be Named out for the second consecutive major, we in the golf world have to type and make up things as we pick "favorites" when we really have just as good an idea of who will win as you.

If that doesn't entice you, this might -- only one golfer not named Tiger Woods in the top 10 of the Official World Ranking has won a major championship since the Masters in 2006. Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Geoff Ogilvy, Stewart Cink, Steve Stricker and Adam Scott have all gone a very long time without winning a major (if ever) and it seems these top-10 golfers might be due.

Here are my favorites, their best finish in a PGA Championship, and why they made the list.

• Phil Mickelson -- WON -- My least favorite person ever to pick in majors, but he did play good for three rounds (or four if you ask him) last week and had himself in a extremely good position even with a balky putter and his obviously struggle with weight choking. If he can somehow find a way to hit the fairway this week, he'll be near the top come Sunday (and on cue probably find a way to drop the ball in dramatic fashion).

Harry Varden, Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus all have something in common at the U.S. Open -- they've all lost a U.S. Open playoff.

18 holes of grueling, stroke-match play on a golf course that's been beaten to pieces by the USGA, the field and the weather all week long and you're having to grind your way around it for one more day.

Tiger Woods wants to be in the same breath as those players in just about every category but this one, and he's playing a competitor in Rocco Mediate that is just about his worst possible foe, a guy with zero to lose.

Tiger's disappointments have never come from Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia or Vijay Singh in major championship stages, they've been Rich Beem, Zach Johnson and Michael Campbell, men that are just having that week.

Today's U.S. Open playoff is probably the most popular one since Lee Trevino threw a rubber snake at Nicklaus on the first tee at Merion Country Club in 1971, a U.S. Open that belonged to Trevino 18-holes later.

No, it isn't Buster Douglas versus Mike Tyson and it definitely isn't salmon eats bear, but Tiger has been pushed to the brink by a guy named Rocco, who keep smiling and joking and hitting fairways. Mediate probably won't win, because he's facing You Know Who, but it sure will be fun to see the two battle.

Just to stir the fire, only one has ever lost a playoff on the PGA Tour, and it isn't the man with a Peace sign belt buckle.