Zach Johnson leaving US system in place as next Ryder Cup captain

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Zach Johnson was on a ski vacation in Colorado in late January when what he figured was a routine video call turned into much more. On the call was the entire Ryder Cup committee asking him to be the next American captain.

"I had a pretty good ski day that day," Johnson said Monday with a broad smile. "I had some blue pants and a red top and I hit the white powder."

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The gold Ryder Cup trophy was on a table next to him at PGA of America headquarters as Johnson was introduced as the 30th U.S. captain. His job is to try to achieve what six previous captains could not — win the Ryder Cup away from home.

The 2023 matches are at Marco Simone in Italy.

Johnson is used to beating the odds.

He did not go to a powerhouse college program as a self-described "normal guy" from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was pea shooter in an era of cannons. But he won 12 times on the PGA Tour, captured majors at Augusta National and St. Andrews and had a winning record in the Ryder Cup (8-7-2) despite playing on only one winning team.

"I love going over there and competing. I love stretching myself. I love being uncomfortable," Johnson said. "It is going to be hard. But it’s also just a beautiful opportunity to go out there and give these guys an avenue to be themselves and play with freedom and that’s kind of how I’m going to approach it."

The expectations of the Americans winning on European soil for the first time since 1993 at The Belfry will be greater than ever. They are coming off the biggest blowout ever over Europe, a 19-9 margin at Whistling Straits.

Johnson wasn't about to change anything.

The U.S. went from eight automatic qualifiers