He won as a rookie and reached the Tour Championship in Atlanta, where one of the perks was attending a ceremony to watch Jay Haas accept the Payne Stewart Award.
It brought Johnson to tears 16 years later when he was selected Wednesday to receive the Payne Stewart Award.
As it enters its second decade, the award now is regarded as the most prestigious on the PGA Tour.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan referred to Johnson as a fearless underdog and a statewide hero in Iowa for his charitable work in his home state.
Zach would say hes just a normal guy from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but in truth, he has one of the most compelling stories on the PGA Tour in the last 25 years, Monahan said.