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Zach Johnson hopes for good fortune near home

Published: July 09, 2008

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Tendinitis in the wrist surfaced the following Tuesday while preparing for the Travelers Championship in Connecticut. He iced it that night but couldn"t move it the next morning.

"What was frustrating was I get hurt and I thought it was a pretty big deal, but SportsCenter was Tiger and his injury; I got nothing,"" Johnson said in jest.

He started swinging again last week, but regaining his timing takes, well, time.

While he recovers, so does a region.

The Monday after the U.S. Open, Johnson suggested to commissioner Tim Finchem and several other officials that the tour raise money for the flood victims. A few days later, an unknowing Jerry Kelly did the same.

The fund started last week, and the total through the weekend was $12,975.

"To me, this is like a Midwest Katrina,"" said Kelly, a Wisconsin native who got a firsthand look at the damage in his home state when he caddied at the Women"s U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Erin Hills last month.

Johnson was in Cedar Rapids the week before the flood. His parents Dave and Julie left for the U.S. Open the day before it hit and were lucky to return to an intact house.

His mom"s downtown office was flooded, but she can work out of home or at a satellite office at a local high school. His dad"s chiropractic clinic escaped damage even though a nearby hospital and surrounding offices were devastated.

"I saw a lot of pictures and some kind of video (of the area) ... and I"m telling you it"s the luckiest thing,"" Johnson said. "His office is sitting right there and you can see about two or three yards. His office is two or three feet higher than all the other offices there. No damage whatsoever.""