Maginnes: This week, two great guys finished first

Already in his young career, new Masters champion Zach Johnson has forged a reputation as one of golf's great gentlemen. What most people don't know, writes John Maginnes, is that his caddie, Damon Green, is special in his own way as well.

By John Maginnes, PGATOUR.com Contributor

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- It happened again at 7:45 Thursday morning. Arnold Palmer, four times a Masters champion, took the first tee in the presence of thousands of fans at Augusta National and hit the ceremonial first shot.

Four days later, at 3:05 Sunday afternoon, Tiger Woods took the lead in the Masters once again. At 6:28 p.m., the heir apparent passed the King and was fitted for his fifth Green Jacket.

OOOOOPPPPPS.

That is what I started to write shortly after Tiger took the lead in the 71st Masters. But it was a few seconds after 6:39 p.m. as Tiger's second shot stopped above ground on the 18th green that Zach Johnson was declared the Masters champion. The beauty of Johnson's victory is that he won this golf tournament. He won it by equaling the low round of the day on Sunday.

Sunday morning at the Masters came with so many questions. Could Tiger prevail yet again? Would Stuart Appleby do what no Aussie had ever done? Stuart had the opportunity to turn a wonderful career into a legacy. Would Padraig Harrington become the first European in eight years to win a major? Was it possible for Augusta native Vaughn Taylor to prevail before his home crowd?

None of the questions were about Zach. Sure, he is a PGA TOUR winner and a Ryder Cup player. We will not make that mistake again.

There is one man who deserves the credit for seeing the potential in Zach a few years ago. Damon Green was caddying for Scott Hoch when Scott was injured. After multiple wins with Hoch, Damon could have had his virtual pick of bags on the PGA TOUR.

I asked Damon a few years ago about that decision. He was unwavering when he explained that Zach was going places. Damon should know. Damon came within a shot of earning a spot on the PGA TOUR as a player back in 1994 at the qualifying school. An unfortunate bogey on the final hole at Grenelefe Resort cost Green that opportunity. He played for a few more years on the Nationwide Tour and various lesser tours around Florida until he got the call from Hoch.

As a player, Damon was a unique. Very few golfers have a signature dance. Damon's is the chicken dance. When he would make a long putt he would do a chicken walk to the hole. It was always amusing. His nickname, because all caddies need one, is Chicken Man.

Just before the Green Jacket ceremonies, Damon strutted down the walkway to the 18th green doing the chicken walk. I feel relatively certain that is the first-ever chicken walk at Augusta National. However, if history has taught us anything about the Masters, it's that it lends itself to multiple victories by a single player. We just may see that chicken walk again in the near future.

What we learned once again from this year's Masters is that so often great gentlemen win the game's most glorious events. Zach Johnson's name will now be spoken in the same breath with other great gentlemen like Ben Crenshaw and Larry Mize. Sometimes nice guys do finish first. At Augusta National this week two of them did.