Andrew Johnston is one of the most popular golfers on the DP World Tour, even after missing an extended period of time through injury. Discover more about the man nicknamed 'Beef' via these facts regarding his life and career.
Andrew Johnston Golf Facts
1. His full name is Andrew Thomas Johnston.
2. Johnston's nickname is 'Beef' - a moniker he has had since around the age of 11 or 12 when one of his friends noted his afro looked like a large chunk of meat.
3. He was born on February 18, 1989 in London, England.
4. Johnston's father Noel worked as a bus driver and his mother as a school dinner lady.
5. He began playing golf at the age of four, going to his local pitch and putt course with his father and siblings.
6. Johnston became a scratch golfer at the age of 16.
7. Johnston enjoyed success as an amateur, winning the Boys International in 2007 and representing the Great Britain and Ireland team in the Jacques Leglise Trophy against Team Europe.
8. Johnston turned professional in 2009 and began life as a pro on the Jamega Tour.
9. His first pro victory arrived on the Jamega Tour in 2009 at an event called The Warwickshire. His second win was at The Vale Of Glamorgan in 2011.
10. Johnston's breakthrough season arrived in 2011 when he played in his first DP World Tour event and qualified for The Open at Royal Cinque Ports.
11. He struggled to hold down DP World Tour membership until 2014, flitting between the European Tour and the Challenge Tour during those years. In 2014, Johnston won the Challenge Tour Order Of Merit via two triumphs in the season.
12. In 2016, Johnston secured his first DP World Tour victory at the Open de Espana.
13. Johnston's best finish at a Major arrived in 2016 when he ended T8th at The Open Championship. This result had a major effect on his popularity among fans all over the world and saw him break into the world's top-100 for the first time.
14. 'Beef' is an Arsenal FC fan and cites his interests as soccer, sports in general, cartoons, and basketball.
15. Johnston earned his PGA Tour card for the 2017-18 season after finishing 4th at the Albertsons Boise Open in the Web.com Tour Finals.
16. Johnston is married to Jodie Valencia. The pair have a daughter named Harley Noelle.
17. Johnston has spoken out about his mental-health issues after admitting he struggled to deal with his new-found popularity in conjunction with a loss of form around 2019.
18. 'Beef' suffered a thumb injury towards the end of 2021 that kept him out of the game for over a year. After returning in 2023, he underwent more surgery just a week after coming back.
19. After launching a YouTube channel in 2022, Johnston began posting videos regarding tips and lessons. He also began a cooking series called 'BBQ Better With Beef.'
20. Johnson released a book called 'Golf Is Hard' in 2024.
