Golf is a weirdly quiet game. Usually, you’ve got these stone-faced guys in ironed trousers whispering about wind speed and grain direction. Then there is Andrew Johnston. Most of us just call him "Beef." If you were watching the Open Championship at Royal Troon back in 2016, you remember the roar. Not just a golf clap, but a full-throated, beer-fueled "BEEEEEEF" that echoed across the dunes. It was magic.
But where is he now? Honestly, the journey of Andrew Beef Johnston golf has been anything but a straight line down the fairway. It’s been more like a wild scramble through the gorse, involving a series of brutal injuries, a move across the world, and a mental health battle that nearly took him out of the game entirely.
People love him because he feels like a guy you’d actually want to have a pint with. He’s the anti-country-club pro. He’s got the beard, the laugh, and the kind of "everyman" vibe that makes you forget he’s actually one of the most talented ball-strikers on the planet.
The Injury Nightmare Nobody Saw Coming
You might think a thumb injury sounds minor. It’s just a thumb, right? Wrong. For a pro golfer, a thumb is basically the steering wheel. If it’s broken, you’re driving into a ditch.
Starting around late 2021, Beef entered a cycle of physical pain that would have broken most people. We aren't just talking about a little soreness. He had a complete ligament tear and tendon damage in his thumb that was misdiagnosed multiple times. Think about that for a second. You go to work, it hurts, the doctor says it's fine, you play, and it gets worse.
✨ Don't miss: Seattle Seahawks Offense Rank: Why the Top-Three Scoring Unit Still Changed Everything
- 2022 and 2023: These were basically "lost years." He played almost no competitive golf.
- The Surgery: He eventually needed complex operations to fix the mess.
- The Move: Interestingly, Beef and his family relocated to Perth, Australia. It wasn't just for the weather; it was part of a total reset for his life and his hand recovery.
By the time he returned to the DP World Tour for the 2024 season, his world ranking had plummeted to over 2,000. That’s a long way from his career high of 74th. But the comeback started to show real teeth. In September 2024, he finished solo third at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland. It was a vintage Beef performance—65s and 66s on the scorecard and that massive grin back on his face.
Why Andrew Beef Johnston Golf Matters for the Fans
Most people think "Beef" is just a marketing gimmick. It's not. The name actually dates back to when he was 12 years old. A friend told him his hair looked like a "big bit of beef," and for some reason, it stuck.
He grew up in North London, the son of a bus driver and a school dinner lady. That’s the "E-E-A-T" (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) of his story. He didn't come from a silver-spoon background. He learned to play at a local pitch-and-putt. That groundedness is why he struggled so much when he became a global celebrity overnight in 2016.
He has been incredibly open about his mental health. He admitted that the pressure of "being Beef"—the guy who always has to be happy and sign every autograph—became exhausting. He felt like he had to play like a Top-10 player in the world because his popularity was at that level, even if his game wasn't there yet. That’s a heavy weight to carry.
🔗 Read more: Seahawks Standing in the NFL: Why Seattle is Stuck in the Playoff Purgatory Middle
The 2025-2026 Comeback Trail
As we sit here in early 2026, Beef is officially back on the grind. He started his 2026 season down under in Australia. He’s playing on a "membership extension"—basically the DP World Tour’s version of a medical exemption.
In November 2025, he teed it up at the BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland. He told reporters he was just "glad to be back competing." He’s 36 now. In golf terms, that’s actually a prime age if the body holds up. He’s not just "making up the numbers" anymore. In early January 2026, he grabbed a T6 finish at the Webex Players Series in Perth.
The game is still there. The hands are finally holding together.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Game
Don't let the burgers and the beard fool you. Andrew Johnston is a technician.
💡 You might also like: Sammy Sosa Before and After Steroids: What Really Happened
When he won the Open de España at Valderrama in 2016, he did it on one of the most punishing courses in the world. Valderrama doesn't care about your personality; it only cares if you can hit a 5-yard window between cork trees. Beef shot 1-over par for the week and won. That tells you everything you need to know about his grit.
His game is built on:
- Elite Iron Play: When he’s "on," he flushes everything.
- Short Game Creativity: Growing up on a pitch-and-putt gave him hands like a magician around the greens.
- Mental Resilience: You don't come back from two years of surgeries and a 2,000+ world ranking if you aren't tough as nails.
Actionable Takeaways for Following Beef in 2026
If you’re a fan or just getting into Andrew Beef Johnston golf, here is how to keep up with his journey this season:
- Watch the DP World Tour Schedule: He is primarily focused on Europe and Australia this year. Look for him in the big summer events in the UK—the crowds there still treat him like a king.
- Read "Golf Is Hard": He released a book in 2024 that is surprisingly raw. It’s not your typical "how to hit a fade" book. It’s about the grind, the anxiety, and why we keep playing a game that makes us feel like idiots.
- Check his YouTube: He’s been active with "Beef’s Golf Club," where he does everything from swing tips to BBQ segments. It’s the best way to see the real guy behind the professional facade.
- Track the OWGR: Watch his climb back up the Official World Golf Ranking. He’s currently hovering around the mid-700s, but with the way he's playing in the early 2026 events, he's a dark horse to crack the Top 200 by the end of the year.
Beef is a reminder that sports are better when the athletes are humans first. He’s had the highs of the 2016 Open and the lows of a hospital bed in Perth. Right now, he’s somewhere in the middle, and honestly, that’s the most exciting place for him to be. The "BEEEEEEF" chants are getting louder again. It’s about time.