Beef ready to embrace ‘role model’ status

• Beef won over pretty much everybody at Royal Troon
• Says he’s been overwhelmed with the reaction to him
• Hopes he new status can get more people into golf

Aside from Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson and their titanic two-way battle at the top to capture the Claret Jug, no player made more of an impression at the Open than Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston.

By Sunday, the 27-year-old had developed cult hero status, with huge cries of ‘Beeeeef’ as he sunk his birdie putt on the first hole, which continued throughout his final round as he unfortunately fell away on the back nine and finished eighth on three-under-par.

And looking back on his week, the Englishman says he’s ready to embrace his new ‘role model’ status and was incredibly thankful for the reception he received throughout the week.

“It was just incredible, man,” said Beef. “Oh, speechless. Down the first shocked me as well when I got to the green and I holed the putt, and it was just absolutely crazy in there. And coming down 18, I’ll remember it forever.

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“I guess I’m just like a different person, you know. There’s a lot of good guys out there. They’re good role models and that. As I said, everyone’s different. People pick up on it how they want to.

“Some kids will go, ‘Oh, I really like him. I really like him’, and stuff like that. As long as I can sort of affect people in a positive way, you know, ‘Oh I want to come out and play golf’. I’ve had so many nice messages on Twitter saying like, ‘Oh, we loved you’. ‘My wife’s gotten into golf. My boys love it’, and stuff like that. I think that’s the most important thing.”

But after those pearls of wisdom from the affable Englishman, he said he’d be signing off his Open week in the style everyone has come to expect since his Spanish Open win back in April.

“I’ll definitely be having a beer tonight,” he said. And too right, too.
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Andrew Beef Johnston :: Your thoughts

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