It seemed like only yesterday that Andrew “Beef” Johnston was being mesmerised by chants of “Go Beef” at the Open. In 2016, the bold Londoner made a splash at Royal Troon, finishing fourth in the Open final.
He eventually tied for eighth in the majors, while Sweden's Henrik Stenson lifted the claret jug. Yet the sport fell in love with Johnston, whose big smile, wiry beard and love of beef made him stand out among his chinos-wearing opponents.
But the extra pressure he put on himself to compete and a serious thumb injury caused Johnson to struggle with his mental health. He is now making a comeback on the DP World Tour.
In 2019, the Finchley native revealed his mental health issues had caused him to withdraw from a number of tournaments. He revealed his struggles in a blog he wrote for the European Tour. He said: “In November, I walked off the course at the Nedbank Golf Challenge on Sunday and couldn’t even bring myself to get my clubs out of my locker. I just left them. I went straight back to the hotel and burst into tears. A few weeks later, I almost walked off the course at the Australian PGA Championship.
“It was at the end of last year on the Gold Coast and I had two bad shots and it was just too much for me. I had no idea what was going on. I was really angry, really nervous and it was really unlike me. I came off the court and I was crying. I knew right then that something was wrong.”
Things got worse in 2021 when he travelled to Singapore to undergo surgery on a serious thumb injury. He felt incredibly low. In an interview with DP World Tour's Robbie Savage, he added: “There comes a time, especially after the surgery in Singapore, when you ask yourself 'will you ever play again?'
“I remember we were on the 19th floor and something scared me and I was in a really dark place and all these thoughts started flooding into my mind like 'What would happen if I jumped? What would happen?'”
Although his ranking currently stands at No. 1,252, Johnston seems to have rediscovered his love for the game. He has also published a book titled Andrew 'Beef' Johnston: The Open, Troon, Fame and Me, and a podcast titled Beef Golf.
He is climbing the rankings. Last year, he was ranked as low as 1,932. Although he missed the first two cuts when he returned to the DP World Tour in June, his T32 finish at the BMW International Open moved him up nearly 800 spots.
However, the memory of those glorious days in 2016 has never left his mind. In an interview with Nick Lozito, he said: “It was an amazing experience.”
“I still have nothing to say. Since then, I've been all over the world – America, all over Europe, Australia, South Africa – and the fans and the crowds have been amazing.”