“The grass is, it’s almost looks fake” - Zach Johnson opens up on his love for the La Quinta Country Club after taking lead at The American Express

Zach Johnson's success on The American Express 2024 leaderboard can be attributed in part to his playing experience at La Quinta Country Club.

The PGA Tour event is underway in La Quinta and following the opening round on Thursday, January 18, Zach Johnson shared the lead with Alex Noren. They finished with a score of under 10 to have a one-stroke lead in the game.

The American Express features 156 golfers and is underway at three different golf courses in California. Some of the golfers tee off at Pete Dye Stadium Golf Course, while others are putting from La Quinta Country Club and Nicklaus Tournament Course in La Quinta, California.

In the first round, Johnson played at La Quinta Country Club and topped the leaderboard. He opened up about his performance and venue following the round with the media.

The 2023 Ryder Cup captain said La Quinta Country Club was the purest place to play on the PGA Tour. Johnson said (via Golf Week):

"La Quinta Country Club is legitimately one of the purest places we play on the PGA Tour year-in, year-out. The grass is — it’s almost looks fake. If you have it going and you have some sort of rhythm and you’re seeing the lines on the putting green, because they’re pure, you can put a number up.”

In the tournament's first round, Johnson had a bogey-free round. With ten birdies, he finished at 10-under 62. But he didn't only play well because the golf course was in fantastic shape; his custom golf equipment also contributed significantly to his success at The American Express.

Zach Johnson also spoke about his equipment on Thursday, January 18, and said (via Golf Week):

"PXG has really honed in on what they feel is best for me, and I’m encouraged with that, which is awesome. All systems go. It’s just one day, so I got to keep the ship straight and narrow and hopefully keep it going.”

It's interesting to note that on Thursday, Zach Johnson and Alex Noren, the leaders of the first round, played at La Quinta Country Club. Rico Hoey, who teed off at the Nicklaus Tournament Golf Course, settled in a tie for third place with Christian Bezuidenhout, who also played at the La Quinta Country Club.

The American Express started on Thursday and will run through the weekend, only to have its finale on Sunday, January 21.

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When will Zach Johnson tee off on Friday at The American Express?

The second round of The American Express will take place on Friday, January 19. The tournament will start at 11:30 a.m. ET at all three venues: La Quinta Country Club, Nicklaus Tournament, and Stadium Course.

For the second round of the tournament, Zach Johnson will be joined by Brandt Snedeker. They will start their game at 12:14 p.m. ET on the tenth tee hole of the Nicklaus Tournament Golf Course.

Scottie Scheffler will pair up with Patrick Cantlay to tee off at Nicklaus Tournament (NT) Golf Course at 11:41 a.m. ET on the tenth hole, while Shane Lowry and Jason Day will start their game on the first tee hole of NT at 1:31 p.m. ET.