Move to Georgia has Johnson energized for '09

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Zach Johnson is one of several PGA TOUR players who have made their home in South Georgia.

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) -- Thanks to an early start on his 2009 goals, Zach Johnson begins his season earlier than expected.

The former Masters champion had no reason to believe he would be part of the field at the winners-only Mercedes-Benz Championship. He was having his worst season in his five years on the PGA TOUR, not even making it to the second stage of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup and in danger of finishing out of the top 125 on the money list.

But with extra time off, he decided to meet with his team to set goals for the new season.

"I had six weeks off to retool and revamp and re-polish, and that's when I sat down and said, 'What are we going to do next year?' The fundamental changes, mental changes, let's do that now and play four out of the last five, which is exactly what I did."

One of those events was the Valero Texas Open, where Johnson went 62-64 on the weekend for a two-shot victory, which allowed him to book a flight to Hawaii.

"I'm encouraged," Johnson said. "I thought the end of last year, my game was really, really good."

He couldn't suppress a smile as he though about meeting with his support group, and it became apparent that this wasn't a time for everyone to share hugs and pat each other on the back. Johnson said his team is opinionated and passionate, which can lead to some heated discussions and frank opinions.

"It's two or three days where we just go out and putt and chip and butt heads and eat a lot," he said.

The meeting of minds took place at Sea Island, and there was a reason for that. During the offseason, Johnson decided to move from Orlando, Fla., to St. Simons Island, Ga., joining a tour group that includes Davis Love III, Brandt Snedeker and Jonathan Byrd. Plus, swing coach Morris Pickens lives there.

I wanted to get better practice facilities, that was one thing," Johnson said. "We had the friends established and we wanted the small-town feel. The key factor was moving closer to my in-laws, and hopefully, my family gets bigger."

Johnson's wife is from Jacksonville, located just south of St. Simons Island.