[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 64 (Friday, April 20, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S4809]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S4809]]
                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                          WINNING THE MASTERS


                         Zach Johnson's Triumph

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, recently, in a magnificent display 
of talent, skill, and old-fashioned Iowa grit, Zach Johnson won the 
Master's Golf Tournament in Augusta, GA.
  The new Master's champ had this to say: ``I'm Zach Johnson and I'm 
from Cedar Rapids, IA. I'm a normal guy.''
  Well, Zach Johnson may be a normal guy. But he clearly has an 
extraordinary ability to play the game of golf.
  You might say that Zach Johnson is an overnight success that was a 
lifetime in the making. His golfing career has progressed steadily from 
his childhood on courses in Cedar Rapids, to college play at Drake 
University in Des Moines, followed by professional play in the Prairie 
Gold Tour, the Nationwide Tour, the PGA Tour, the U.S. Ryder Cup team, 
and, now, champion of Master's.
  Obviously, there are many qualities that go into winning such a 
challenging tournament against the world's top players. It takes talent 
and skill. But it also takes intelligence and character. Zach Johnson 
is abundantly endowed in all of these departments.
  Of course, Iowans are ecstatic about Zach's victory. And more than 
one Iowan has noted that his performance reflected the values we hold 
dear in the Hawkeye State. He was persistent and relentless. He didn't 
go for a flashy style of play; it was just steady-as-she-goes, day 
after day, tee after tee. He refused to yield. He met every challenge. 
Oh, and his strong putting skills didn't hurt, either.
  For the record, I would note that Zach Johnson won not only one of 
the most difficult golf tournaments in the world, but also quite 
possibly one of the most difficult of all Master's tournaments in 
history. He braved gusting winds and bitterly cold weather. His winning 
score of one-over-par 289 tied the highest winning score in Master's 
history.
  Zach Johnson has done Iowa proud. He is the first Iowan to win a 
major professional golf tournament since Jack Fleck upset Ben Hogan at 
the 1955 U.S. Open. I salute his great achievement at Augusta. And I 
wish him continued success in tournaments, and years, to come.

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