Summary Last year Johnson arrived at Colonial ranked 14th on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy.
FORT WORTH (AFP) - Zach Johnson returns to Colonial to defend his US PGA Tour Crowne Plaza Invitational title this week as South Korea s Bae Sang-Moon tries to capture a second Texas title in as many weeks.
Bae, who claimed his first US PGA Tour title at the Byron Nelson Championship in nearby Irving on Sunday, will be paired with Johnson and Jason Dufner in the first two rounds of the $6.4 million event.
Dufner entered the final round in 2012 with a two-stroke lead over Johnson but carded a four-over 74 and lost to Johnson by one stroke.
Former Masters champion Johnson had his struggles in the final round as well, closing with a two-over 72.
Johnson claimed his eighth PGA tour title at this event and he added another title last year at the John Deere Classic.
Johnson, who also won at Colonial in 2010, says the par-70, 7,204-yard course, an old-style layout that rewards precision and course management, suits his eye.
"It requires every shot in your bag, every club in your bag," Johnson said.
But Johnson is enduring a difficult 2013, with just two top-20 finishes in 10 PGA Tour starts.
Last year Johnson arrived at Colonial ranked 14th on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy. This year he ranks 36th and if he isn t accurate off the tee, Johnson said, "I m going to have issues".
Bae arrives on a high. The South Korean, who had won 11 prior times worldwide but never in a US tour event, fired a final round 69 to win the Byron Nelson Championship by two strokes over American Keegan Bradley.
The field includes eight of the top 30 in the world, with many of Europe s best in Wentworth this week for the European Tour s PGA Championship.
World number one Tiger Woods is taking the week off, prior to defending his title next week at the Memorial.
