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Masters champion: I'm a normal guy

09/04/2007

US Masters champion Zach Johnson has insisted he is just a "normal guy" after earning praise for holding off Tiger Woods and Retief Goosen in his first major victory at Augusta yesterday.

Johnson said he never looked at the leaderboard as he was just trying to concentrate on his own game but he could tell things were going well by the crowd's reaction.

The 31-year-old American said: "I knew I could win on the major scene. I felt everything was ready and I prepared very hard, I'm a normal guy."

Speaking about beating four-time Masters champion Woods, he said: "I don't know if I've ever beaten him - well, I haven't beaten him many times, but on this stage, certainly never."

Johnson said he did not want to get emotional out on the course and tried to focus on the present.

"I didn't look at the board. So I really didn't know what was going on. I knew if I just kept doing what I was doing, staying in the present and putting well, I had a chance," he said.

Woods was left to rue a number of missed opportunities and said the final two holes had cost him dearly over the weekend.

He explained: "I had a chance and looking back I basically blew it with the two rounds when I finished bogey-bogey.

"That's four over in two holes. You can't afford to do that and win major championships."

Goosen said he was just happy to have made the cut on Friday after a poor opening two rounds but that he was a little sad not to have won once he had moved into contention.

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