TEEING OFF

1_Zach Johnson isn’t taking any time off after his stirring victory Sunday in the Masters at Augusta National; he’s playing in the $5.4-million Verizon Heritage, which starts today at Hilton Head, S.C.

Johnson is one of only four players in the top 20 who are playing at Harbour Town: No. 2 Jim Furyk, No. 5 Ernie Els, No. 9 Geoff Ogilvy and Johnson, who is ranked a career-best 15th.

In fact, Johnson started last week at No. 56 and is the first player from outside the top 50 to win the Masters since the official world golf ranking began in 1986.

An estimated 41 million watched all or part of Saturday’s and Sunday’s rounds on CBS -- the highest number since 47.9 million watched Tiger Woods win his second Masters in 2001.

2_Johnson’s cellphone is still buzzing after his two-shot victory, a few of the calls from the unexpected.

“There’s been a few ... no world leaders or anything,” he said.

But the leader of Iowa telephoned. Iowa Gov. Chet Culver left a message, and Johnson said he hopes to return the call when he catches his breath. Another message left on Johnson’s cellphone was by Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, like Johnson, an alumnus of Regis High School in Cedar Rapids.

As pleased as Johnson was to get all his messages, he had one overriding reaction: “It’s amazing how the number gets out.”

3_On further review, don’t expect Woods to be back on tour until the Wachovia Championship, which begins May 3 in Charlotte, N.C. If so, Woods wouldn’t enter the Byron Nelson in two weeks, but he would play the Wachovia and the Players Championship back to back.

4_It’s pretty clear what Johnny Miller is doing this week. He’s practicing. Miller, who turns 60 on April 29, is playing in next week’s Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf. It’s his first Champions Tour event since 1997. He’s teaming with Mike Reid in the Raphael Division.

5_The women’s world ranking numbers show Annika Sorenstam at 11.74, Lorena Ochoa at 11.35. That means, once again, that there could be a change at the top after this weekend’s $2.6-million Ginn Open at Reunion, Fla.

How a regular LPGA Tour event could offer more prize money than a major like the Kraft Nabisco ($2 million) is a topic best left for another day. But Morgan Pressel doesn’t really care, and she’s playing the Ginn with a new set of clubs because the set she used to win at Mission Hills was stolen.

Among the items lost in Pressel’s stolen bag was a key chain with a message printed on it -- You’d better make more money than you spend.

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-- THOMAS BONK