BEEF is planning a fresh start of his own at the US Open — after meeting up with a star of hit comedy The Big Bang Theory.
Andrew Johnston admits his initial tilt at the PGA Tour was hardly a box-office success, with four missed cuts and one top ten in eight starts.
But 18 holes with actor Kunal Nayyar, who plays astrophysicist Dr Rajesh Koothrappali in TV’s Big Bang, was definitely one of the highlights.
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Johnston — nicknamed Beef — said: “I think that series is just wicked, really funny, but my girlfriend Louise is a massive fan. I was so pleased she was with me when I hooked up with Kunal.
“We were both in Pebble Beach for the AT&T National Pro-Am. We weren’t playing together but we just got talking on the putting green and really hit it off.
“I recognised him straight away and he recognised me as well — he said it was the beard that did it!
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“He invited me to play a round at his local course in LA and Louise walked with us. Pebble Beach was one of my missed cuts, so at least I got something out of it.
“I don’t know why I couldn’t get it going in America. The fans were great to me. I had stacks of fun off the course, but my game just wasn’t there.
“The only time I played anywhere near my best was at the Puerto Rico Open, where I was in contention going into the final round but fell back a bit on the back nine.
“It was so frustrating as I really wanted to play well in front of those fans, to say thank you for the support.
“They loved the fact I earned my card on National Cheeseburger Day in the USA. Honestly!
“You can’t make stuff like that up. It’s just nuts, especially when I’ve been pictured eating burgers so often.”
There were suggestions Johnston’s incredible popularity was having a negative effect on his game, because he was spending more time enjoying his celebrity status than on the practice range.
He was pictured buying drinks for everyone in a New Orleans bar after challenging drinkers to putt into a pint glass.
And his big-money sponsors — US fast-food chain Arby’s — are using him as a frontman in a competition offering customers free trips to watch him in next month’s Open at Birkdale.
But Johnston, 28, insists he did not neglect his game — and says coming home to north London helped him identify where he was going wrong.
He added: “When I got back to play in the BMW PGA at Wentworth I went straight to my coach, Alan Thompson, so we could work out what was up.
“Not having Alan out there was murder because I knew he’d get my swing sorted out in no time. I’d just got into so many bad habits, probably because I was trying too hard to turn things round.
“I know there’s a balancing act with the celebrity stuff, but I’ll never forget it’s golf that got me there. I’m a golfer first, second and always.”
A share of 21st place at Wentworth last month convinced Beef things were starting to look tasty again.
And his display in the 36-hole US Open qualifier, the day after the PGA finished, has sent his confidence levels soaring.
He shot 68-66 at Walton Heath to finish ten under and claim one of the 14 spots on offer at Erin Hills in Wisconsin this week — helped by a hole-in-one on just his second hole.
He grinned: “I actually set myself a target of getting to ten under on the first tee — and that ace definitely helped.
“It also got me thinking about the first time I started attracting publicity, when I got a hole-in-one to win a £75,000 BMW at Wentworth two years ago.
“The flying chest-bump I gave one of my mates in the gallery was a big hit on YouTube. And there were no ropes at Walton Heath so loads of fans came running up to do the same thing. It really helped get the mojo back.
“I’ve had a couple of weeks off since then to work on my game with Alan and I reckon it’s in pretty good shape now.
“We’ll see. You know what they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”
Beef AND pudding? The man ought to be from Yorkshire, not London.
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