Five things about Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, England’s highest-ranked hope at the British Open

AP Photo/Matt Dunham

AP Photo/Peter Morrison

AP Photo/Peter Morrison

REUTERS/Craig Brough

Andrew 'Beef' Johnston has emerged as one of the stars of this year's Open Championship and entered the final day as the highest-ranked English player. Here, Press Association Sport lists five things you may not have known about the 27-year-old from Barnet.

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1. A head full of beef

Johnston’s nickname dates back to his school days. After growing his hair, it went curly and a school friend said: “Look at your head, it looks like a big bit of beef”.

The name has stuck and, at the PGA event at Wentworth earlier this year, Johnston had the sign changed at his car parking space from ‘Andrew Johnston’ to ‘Beef’.

2. A basket of burgers, not balls

At the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio earlier this month, Johnston brought something different to the practice range. Challenged to swap a golf ball for a cheeseburger he obliged, sending the watching crowd into raptures as he teed off into the meat.

3. Interesting fans

As ‘Beef’s’ legend has grown at this tournament, so has his fanbase. After telling reporters he was going to have a Caesar salad after his round, he was followed on his next outing by one fan who screamed ‘Caesar salad’ at him for six holes. “It was funny,” says Johnston, who has also had fans waving burgers at him.

His biggest fan is his five-year-old niece, Summer. He has been playing Top Trumps with her between rounds and has followed him round the course shouting ‘Uncle Beef’.

4. The thick end of the wedge

Johnston loves his meat so much that he had cuts of steak engraved on one of his clubs. A picture on his Instagram account shows a wedge with the words ribeye, brisket, sirloin, T-Bone and Filet Mignon engraved on it.

5. Off the course

Away from golf, Johnston is an Arsenal fan and earlier this year he played with one of his childhood heroes, Ray Parlour, in a Pro-Am event. Johnston regularly shares photographs of his food on social media, most recently polishing off the ‘Tomahawk’ steak at a restaurant in Ohio.