Andrew 'Beef' Johnston Ready To Crack America

Now armed with his PGA Tour card, Spanish Open champion Andrew 'Beef' Johnston has revealed that he will begin his 2017 playing on the PGA Tour in the U.S.

Andrew 'Beef' Johnston
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Beef told the BBC that he would play on the PGA Tour up until the BMW PGA Championship, and also revealed how he received comments saying his beard was 'bad for golf'

Andrew 'Beef' Johnston Ready To Crack America

Now armed with his PGA Tour card, Spanish Open champion Andrew 'Beef' Johnston has revealed that he will begin his 2017 playing on the PGA Tour in the United States.

Johnston told BBC 5 Live Breakfast, "I'm going to play the first few months in the States. I haven’t played much over there so I want to go over and experience, see what it’s like try and get a feel for it and then come back. My first tournament in Europe I think will be Wentworth [at the BMW PGA Championship]."

Johnston's interview after securing his 2017 PGA Tour card:

See more

Beef earned his 2017 Card with a fourth place finish at the Albersons Boise Open on the Web.com to finish inside the top-25 on the money list.

Johnston is known for his beard and told BBC Radio 4's Today Show how it came about, revealing that he received comments that his beard was 'bad for golf'.

Andrew Johnston wins Open de Espana Andrew 'Beef' Johnston

Andrew Johnston wins Open de Espana

"It was one of them things I grew out as a bit of fun. A while back I hadn’t shaved it for a while and it was a bit long and a few of my friends on tour made some passing comments. I said I'm gonna grow it out over Christmas, come back and its gonna be bigger and we’ll have a laugh about it and then it was big and when I won Spain I was actually gonna get rid of it that week.

"After that I had quite a few messages like your beard is bad for golf. I was like I’ll keep it now."

Asked whether he embraces his ambassadorial role in modernising golf’s image he said: "Yes. The more people I can get playing golf the better."

Johnston has risen to 86th in the Official World Golf Rankings, peaking at 74th, and finished 26th on the 2016 Race to Dubai.

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV