Htting The Links, Round 2

Remember when that regular guy from Cedar Rapids, Iowa won the 2007 Masters ranked 162nd in driving distance on the PGA Tour?

The statistic is undoubtedly less memorable than Zach Johnson's astounding victory at Augusta National, but his winning formula of short, accurate driving and striking iron play is equating to a scorching start in 2009.

Now the No. 27 player in the world, Johnson leads the FedEx Cup points (647) through three events and has already accumulated more than $1.2 million on the money list.

Not bad for a guy who currently ranks 123rd in driving distance (286.3) heading into this weekend's Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines. That's over four yards shorter than the PGA Tour average (290.5) this season.

A closer look at the stats — Johnson ranks 30th in driving accuracy (%70.3) and 18th in greens in regulation (%75.9) — reveals that Johnson is relying more on his approach
game to move up the scoreboards. His unimpressive putts per round average (29.0, 108th on Tour) has been counteracted by four eagles in 216 holes, or more simply, an eagle every third round.

I was fortunate to watch his third round at the Mercedes Championship in person earlier this season, and it definitely seems like Johnson has regained whatever confidence was lost in 2008. When he's playing well, Johnson hits fairways, attacks pins, and rarely forfeits a bogey back to the course. As a short hitter, he became notorious during his Masters win for his conservative strategy on Augusta's longer Par-5s.

He made 14 birdies that week "playing safe," and the formula seems to be working just fine in 2009. Albeit a tad late, here is a article recapping his Sony Open victory and praising Johnson's grit.

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This week, the PGA Tour is back at Torrey Pines for the first time since Tiger Woods' remarkable 2008 U.S. Open victory. What a better way to kick off Round 2 of weekly links than with the latest on Mr. Woods, who said Wednesday morning that he's back to practicing full strength and speculated possible return dates. Also, mentioned in Tiger's blog entry for PGATour.com, Woods says he hopes to soon play golf with President Barack Obama.

In case you forgot how insane Tiger's last competitive week was, let's cue the video:

Using Brandt Snedeker as an example, PGA Tour correspondent Helen Ross' notebook today highlights the growing pains often experienced by rookies, many of whom who struggle with patience. Within the notebook, there is word that Phil Mickelson will be using a different, now-legalized Callaway FT-9 driver this week after missing the cut at the FBR Open. If you want a full transcript of Lefty's interview at the Buick Tuesday, click here.

For 13 years in a row, a major champion has won the Buick Invitational, the longest streak among all PGA Tour events. This week's field includes a dozen such players, most notably Mickelson and 2008 poster boy Padraig Harrington. In an exclusive interview posted on Golf.com today, Harrington spoke about his aspirations for 2009 and the possibility of a "Paddy Slam" coming off his British Open and PGA Championship victories in 2008.

The feeling around Tour is that Torrey Pines will feel quite different without the defending champion Woods — who has won the Buick six times including in 2008.

TaylorMade continues to headline the new equipment buzz early in 2009, and J.B. Holmes crazy eight-legged putter — the new Spider Balero, an off-shoot of the company's Monza Spider and Itsy Bitsy spider models from 2008 — appeared at the FBR Open.

Woods' close friend and Tour veteran Mark O'Meara said last week that Irish phenom Rory Mcllroy, who won the Dubai Desert Classic, is actually better at 19 years old than Tiger ever was. Quite a statement.

Lastly, sad news out of 18-year-old phenom Tadd Fujikawa's camp, as his father plead guilty to second-degree drug trafficking on Tuesday. Hopefully Tadd can overcome such a devastating situation and continue his blossoming young career.

Photos Courtesy/ Getty Images