Tour News

Andrew “Beef” Johnston: How Golf May Have Finally Stumbled Upon its Savior

Published

10 years ago

Aug 3, 2016

Goofy. Completely honest. Fun loving.

All terms that could describe Rob Gronkowski, NFL Pro Bowl tight end of the New England Patriots. In the past, there were very few golfers who could be described with those terms… until now. Finally, golf has found its Gronkowski in Andrew “Beef” Johnston.

For our fans in Europe who don’t know who Gronkowski is, the best advice I can give is to search YouTube, Twitter and Google. As a Premier League fan, I’m not sure there are any players like “Gronk” off the field. Suffice to say, Gronk’s play on the field may only be topped by how he acts off it. He is a 14-year-old boy in the Incredible Hulk’s body.

While Gronk is fun loving and dynamic, he has physical traits none of us will ever have. Sure, he is friendly and unassuming, but he is huge. There is no mistaking him for an average joe. His size screams athlete and gym rat with size and skill most of us are lacking. Well, Beef has the 14-year-old-boy attitude, only in something slightly less than the chiseled physique Gronk has. And that’s what makes him perfect to grow our game.

Golf has longed for someone to drag it kicking and screaming into the 21^st century — to keep its traditions while losing its stuffiness and upturned-nose attitudes. We have hemmed and hawed for someone to make the game popular. Except we looked in all the wrong places, and for all the wrong qualities. Because for someone to grow the game, the mystique has to be gone. It has to be someone who we can look at and say, “I can be him,” or at the very least, “He is like me.”

Most thought Tiger was the man to do it. He had a combination of athleticism, competitive drive and skill that we had never seen, and maybe never will again. But Tiger never had it in him.

First, it’s hard to identify with someone who doesn’t want to be identified with. Tiger never seemed to care what anyone thought of him, on or off the course. Plus scowls and curt responses to the media don’t do much to make us feel warm and fuzzy. Tiger was so good because he intimidated players, members of the media and fans alike. Imagine walking up to the first tee and seeing Tiger. Think playing with him would be a fun experience? What about a beer? Now imagine a round or a round of beers with Beef. Who would your friends who have never played golf have more fun with?

And plenty of others besides Tiger have been given the mantle to carry the game, only to leave us wanting. Which brings us back to Beef. He first arrived on the scene after winning the Spanish Open with a relatively non-descript 1-over par, four-round total of 285. As with most things Beef, the real fun started outside the ropes. In response to how he planned to celebrate, he said he wanted to see his mum and get hammered.

#Beef ???? ???? https://t.co/miXd9mrPQm

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) April 17, 2016

Which led to this.

Yup, that’s a grown man in a piñata costume getting, wait for it… hammered. Most of the time these things bother us, or at the very least turn us off. Partially due to jealously, partially because we want to believe — professionals have to be super human to play as well as they do. Because if we didn’t have to be on the range or in the gym 24/7, we could have the same success, right?

How would you feel if you saw Jason Day in a piñata costume drinking? How about Jordan Spieth or Rory McIlroy? It may be funny for a video, but are you going to cheer him because of it. Not likely.

But with Beef, it’s different. There were laughs, cheers and tweets congratulating him. Fans wanted to see more. And there is no one else who gets that kind of leash in any sport other than Gronkowski. And those worried Beef may get reined in by success had a sigh a relief when he told ESPN if he won the U.S. Open, “Oh, I’d go big, I’d be drunk for a week.”

During The Open Championship, he mixed his good-natured personality with some serious ability, playing in the second-to-last group on Sunday and finishing in 8^th place. At every hole fans chanted “Beef” and he lifted his club or gave a wave to acknowledge the fans.

Just this past week he showed the global pull he has with fans. First he was in New York City to sign a sponsorship deal with Arby’s. How did he celebrate? Working at Arby’s for the day, serving customers.

Then he headed to Baltusrol, where every time he appeared on TV you heard the crowd screaming his name. And on Sunday, after a disappointing final-round 71 left him in a tie for 60^th, did he scowl, refuse interviews and head for his courtesy car? No, he spent time talking with fans and signing autographs.

The next chance we have to see Beef in the U.S. is at the Ryder Cup, but it isn’t looking good for him. He currently sits in 24^th place on both the European and World Points List. At the Open, Darren Clark talked up how “Andrew” played, but said he would only go so far down the list in making captain’s picks. If calling him Andrew isn’t a sign he won’t make the team, I’m not sure what else is.

And that’s probably good news for the U.S. team. I’d be nervous about Beef if I was Davis Love III. Because, patriotism or not, there’s a pretty decent chance Beef would get as many cheers as his boys in red, white and blue. As the anti-Ian Poulter, he could do more to hurt the psyche of U.S. players than anyone else. Imagine being out cheered at home by a player on the other team?

Which leads us to what makes him so popular and why it can last. Sure, part of Beef’s allure is his appearance. A mix between Chunk from Goonies and Hodor from Game of Thrones, he has a beard that needs a trim and a waist that could lose a few pounds. But we’ve had other golfers who could use to lose a few pounds and liked to drink. We’ve had golfers who had the game and were willing to sign autographs.

This guy has something those didn’t. It’s the “it” that can’t be described, can’t be touched and can’t be understood. So far, it has nothing to do with his ability on the course, and that’s the mark of a true superstar; it’s them as a person that matters, not what they do. Make no mistake; results will be important at some point. He will have to win, and he will have to contend. The same has been true for Gronkowski. His fun-loving personality would have only been fun for so long if there weren’t touchdowns to back it up.

But for now, winning is not the most important thing. The most important thing is he has to keep being Beef.

If you follow Beef on Twitter, you can read the number of tweets he gets from fans who say they picked up a club again because of him. And if we want the game to grow, a good place to start is getting back those people golf left behind. If we can bring them back to the game, their sons and daughters will follow… and their sons and daughters after that. Golf can be fun, and Beef is the man to show them just how fun it can be.

So next time you head to a tournament or watch on TV, look out, listen and cheer for the man who just may save the game. BEEEEEEEEEEFFFFFF! He’s what’s for golf.

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20 Comments

dc

Aug 6, 2016 at 12:20 pm

You want little kids in the First Tee to look up to this obesity? Seriously?

Reply Report comment
- James
  
  Aug 12, 2016 at 2:54 pm
  
  You want the kids to look up to him having fun and enjoying his golf. Their parents should teach them how to be healthy
  
  Reply Report comment
Pherg

Aug 6, 2016 at 6:10 am

Not sure about the article but look at the photo. That’s a man who’s not only genuinely happy to be at work, he looks happy to be there as well. It’s a rare sight in pro-golf. Most players look like they’re working 9-5 for minimum wage, not making their dreams come true.

Reply Report comment
Dead Fish

Aug 5, 2016 at 1:13 pm

This….

“Golf has longed for someone to drag it kicking and screaming into the 21st century — to keep its traditions while losing its stuffiness and upturned-nose attitudes. We have hemmed and hawed for someone to make the game popular. Except we looked in all the wrong places, and for all the wrong qualities. Because for someone to grow the game, the mystique has to be gone. It has to be someone who we can look at and say, “I can be him,” or at the very least, “He is like me.””

Is why golf is struggling.

Stop trying to find someone to grow the brand for you. Develop the grass roots ecosystem and watch it grow without the need for a “savior”. I guarantee you the NFL is not as big as it is because of Gronkowski. It is big because of what they do in the communities and programs they develop. like “PLAY 60”. Great program that gets kids into sports and activities. Obviously football focuses, but going back to the grass roots, that is what golf needs. Not some “savor”. It needs foundation to grow and it starts in the communities…

Reply Report comment
hesphat

Aug 5, 2016 at 11:41 am

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/americans-weight-gain-since-1980s-startling/

Reply Report comment
hesphat

Aug 5, 2016 at 11:41 am

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/07/14/obesity-early-death/

Reply Report comment
golfraven

Aug 4, 2016 at 3:43 pm

He is a good chap and fun to watch. Did not know what to think first time I saw him on the European tour but he is growing on me. Watching the Open with him was fun. Want to see more of him and the French Alexander Lévy.

Reply Report comment
birdy

Aug 4, 2016 at 12:34 pm

media will build this guy up only to eventually turn on him and tear him down. its what they do.

Reply Report comment
MBA-J

Aug 4, 2016 at 11:54 am

Is this a serious article? So Beef Johnston, a dude that has been a pro since 2009 but nobody knew about until 2016 and is only famous for his nickname and drinking habits, will be golf’s savior?

LOLOLMAO Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha *cough* *chuckle*

Wake me when he dominates both amateur and professional golf (Tiger.)

Wake me when he wins multiple majors (Rory, Speieieieth)

Wake me when he’s not the same recycled concept of the “aw shucks, everyman golfer” (Daly, Dufner, Boo Weekly)

Wake me when folk realize that Tiger was a once in a lifetime phenomenon – a bubble that everyone invested in with copious cash and unrealistic expectations. But now that the Tiger bubble has burst, everyone is grasping for straws to identify the “next.” Sorry, folks, there is NO next. Tiger was the perfect storm: a young, dominant, non-white guy that could bring other previously un/under-represented groups to become interested in an otherwise niche sport. None of these new cats have the same charisma, drive, attitude, and ability to captivate the world. So while Beef may be interesting in a SportsCenter highlight type of manner, I don’t think he’s capable of putting an entire sport on his rotund shoulders.

Reply Report comment
Dirt

Aug 4, 2016 at 2:35 am

“Golf has longed for someone to drag it kicking and screaming into the 21st century — to keep its traditions while losing its stuffiness and upturned-nose attitudes”

Thank you. Bring on the fun!

Reply Report comment
cwt

Aug 3, 2016 at 8:26 pm

“Tiger never seemed to care what anyone thought of him, on or off the course. Plus scowls and curt responses to the media don’t do much to make us feel warm and fuzzy.”

These two lines, back to back, indicate you don’t know your subject. Tiger cares too much about what people think of him, which is why he tried to manage his image by distancing himself from the present.

Reply Report comment
- Kenny
  
  Aug 4, 2016 at 9:45 am
  
  I agree. Tiger tried to paint this perfect image. Beef is the complete opposite! He could care less what people think of him and that’s why everyone loves him. He’s not like the typical golfer who’s a robot with a 9 iron stuck up their ass (Ian Poulter)!
  
  Reply Report comment
Milo

Aug 3, 2016 at 2:01 pm

Love this guy

Reply Report comment
Johnny

Aug 3, 2016 at 1:10 pm

Seriously?

Reply Report comment
Jeff

Aug 3, 2016 at 12:15 pm

I just wish he’d cut the Isis beard. Not a good look when you already look like a militant.

Reply Report comment
Bollix

Aug 3, 2016 at 12:13 pm

Bollix to this article, as the English would say

Reply Report comment
- RedX
  
  Aug 3, 2016 at 10:38 pm
  
  bollocks
  
  Reply Report comment
  - theaveragepunter
    
    Aug 4, 2016 at 1:58 am
    
    or bolleaux as the French say.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Bollix
      
      Aug 4, 2016 at 3:44 am
      
      Or, as the Germans say, BALLACKS hahahahaha
      
      Reply Report comment
  - Bollix
    
    Aug 4, 2016 at 3:43 am
    
    i didn’t think this site would allow you say bollocks so I spelled it the polite way of bollix lol
    
    Reply Report comment

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