Dan O'Neill

AUGUSTA, Ga. - In the final analysis, this Masters that made no sense makes perfect sense. That is, Zach Johnson makes perfect sense.

"I'm just a Midwest guy from Cedar Rapids, Iowa," Johnson. "Just a normal guy. That's what it's all about."

Of course, he's a Midwest guy from Iowa. Who else could go toe-to-toe with the Stanford man from California. Who else could outduel the best player on the planet on turf he practically owns? Who else could beat Tiger Woods to Butler Cabin?

After all, we long ago established Woods is invincible. "Tiger has an amazing record in majors," said Vaughn Taylor, who played alongside the Midwest guy from Iowa on Sunday. "If (Tiger) isn't Superman, who is he? Superman's brother, maybe."

Of course, he is. He is the baddest of the bad, the winner of 12 major championships and 56 PGA Tour events at age 31. He is the guy who gets the lead in a tournament and devours it. He is the intimidating force that leaves challenger after challenger cowering in his wake, the guy with four green jackets hanging in his closet.

So, it is only natural in this highly unnatural Masters that a Midwest guy from Iowa deliver the Kryptonite. The 31-year old Johnson is everything Woods is not. Woods has been a star since he was 3 years old, a legendary figure in waiting, a finely tuned winning machine.

Johnson has earned his way to the PGA Tour and this major championship moment the old-fashioned way.

Slide show   Masters scenes — 2007 Top images from Augusta National

Woods is from the golf establishment, Stanford. Johnson played golf at Drake. He beat the bushes, played on the NGA Hooters Tour, played on the Nationwide Tour. He lived the Roy McAvoy experience, lived out of the trunk of his car, lived to fight another day.

"I thought those were the best days of my life, right there," Johnson said. "Chicken wings and everything. That's how I got better. Those mini-tours, a lot of good players have come through the ranks there. I feel very fortunate to have played in those tours."

The 71st Masters Zach Johnson wins green jacket Surprise winner |   Discuss |   Images | Scores Opinion: 'Normal guy' slays Tiger | Up to 15 Religious champ blessed to win on Easter A hole on Tiger's resume | Dent to legend Tiger let off easy by media | Tracking Tiger For South Africans, second not so bad Amen! Augusta wakes up on back nine Notebook: Appleby positive despite fade Winners | Memorable moments

He earned his a promotion by topping the Nationwide money list in 2003, won the 2004 BellSouth Classic and played well enough to earn a spot on the 2006 U.S. Ryder Cup team. He and his wife, Kim, recently had their first child and this week, in a Masters played like a nasty U.S. Open, a Masters that matched the hardest Masters on record, who better to prevail than the simple Midwest guy from Iowa.

There's something in the water there in Iowa, must be. After all, it was a Midwest guy from Iowa, Jack Fleck, who beat Ben Hogan in a playoff at the 1955 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. After all, Johnson went to the same high school as another unlikely sports hero, Kurt Warner, who went from grocery store stock boy to Super Bowl champion quarterback faster than you can say, "Midwest guy from Iowa."

SPECIAL FEATURE His best score on each hole at Augusta

This week at chilly Augusta National might have had you scratching your head. But make no mistake, it makes all the sense in the world that when the pollen settled on Sunday, a Midwest guy from Iowa was left standing.

"I think emotionally, Zach was a lot sharper than everyone else," said third-round leader Stuart Appleby, who fell on his sword with a double bogey on at the first hole on Sunday. "Zach knew he had a sharper game today and he knuckled down and got it done."

All week long, players and observers complained about how difficult Augusta National was playing, lamented how long and obtrusive it has become. So it figures a Midwest guy from Iowa, one of the shorter hitters on the tour, would set the record straight and show the world you can still win golf tournaments with small ball.

MORE FROM GOLF

Golf Section Front

Villegas wins; Singh all but clinches FedEx Cup Opinion: English and mirrors won't help golf Campbell's wife delivers their first child Lucquin wins playoff at European Masters Sorenstam places 3rd in her European finale Berkmeyer earns top spot in Men's U.S. Mid-Amateur Patterson-Golden tops Women's Mid-Am qualifiers 5-year-old scores hole-in-one — kind of Latest golf videos Special section: Golf on NBC Golf Section Front   Add Golf headlines to your news reader: