Remember ‘Beef’?

You guys remember Beef? Andrew Beef Johnson, the big bearded English golfer who exploded on the golf scene in 2016. He was the talk of the town in the golf world. Real name is Andrew Johnson. He grew up in London playing golf and turned pro in about 2009. He actually got his nickname when he was a child when someone was commenting on his hair saying it looked like beef. So, it’s actually not from golf at all. But if y’all were there back in 2016, you know this guy was a global sensation. That year, he won the Spanish Open in 2016 at Vorama on the European tour with a plus one score overall. But what actually made him famous wasn’t actually the win. It was his post round interview saying that he was going to go home and get hammered with his mates. Now you hear something like this in the golf world today and you don’t really bat an eye, but in 2016 this was way out of left field and people loved him for it. He had a cult following overnight. Now later that summer at the 2016 Open Championship, he placed tied for eighth and you could hear on every hole people were chanting beef. And obviously those broadcasters leading into the hype. His kind of approachable pub guy vibe was a massive fan favorite and he loved it too. He’d be fistbumping fans, celebrating wildly. He even chest bumped a fan and when he made a hole in one at the BMW PGA Championship back in 2015, he was just a very natural guy compared to the professional mannerisms that a lot of those other players would portray, especially back then. And sponsors obviously jumped on board, too. In America, he signed a deal with Arby’s, obviously known for their roast beef sandwiches, so feeling that beef all around. At the end of 2016, he broke the top 75 in the world and amassed a massive social media following, especially for that time around his brand. Fast forward to 2025, Beef is still technically a touring pro, but he’s been battling some massive injuries. In 2024, he tore a thumb ligament that forced him off the DP World Tour for the remainder of that season, and he hasn’t played since the 2024 BMW PGA Championship, where he missed the cut. He did show some glimpses of his old form, though, with a third place placement in the Omega European Masters back in 2024. So, he still can’t compete at a high level. During his injuries, he shifted his focus over to his family with his wife and daughter, but has also been pretty active in the golf world in other ways with Beef’s Golf Club, his podcast, as well as an autobiography called Golf is Hard, where he opens up about his mental health journey and his career highlights. He still plans to return to professional golf when he feels that he’s ready and his injuries are healed.