By Kent Gray
Andrew “Beef” Johnston, by his own admission, has probably marinated a little too well since earning cult-hero status as the scruffy-bearded charmer of the Royal Troon galleries during the 2016 Open Championship.

His infectious enthusiasm and willingness to please after making it all the way to the penultimate group in the season’s penultimate major suddenly made him the well-rounded centrepiece of a media circus. Though he handled the distractions with aplomb, what the eventual 8th place finish at Troon and new-found fame didn’t help Beef achieve was to keep his eye on the ball career wise.

A top-10 at the lowly Puerto Rico Open was the solitary highlight of a year spent bouncing uncomfortably between the European and PGA Tours with his next best a T-27 at last summer’s Open at Royal Birkdale.

Beef knew it was “100 percent” time to “wipe the slate clean” and he’s started the process well with a pair of 68s at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA to be right in the mix halfway through the Desert Swing opener.

“When I finish my season, I look back at it and I was just like, it was so crazy, so many distractions, and I probably drunk too much, as well,” the 28-year-old Englishman admitted.

“You’ve gone to too many parties and you get invited here and there and stuff and you’re burning the candle at both ends. I was like, all right, that’s it. Once Christmas, New Year’s is done, just get back to basics and take it nice and easy. I feel great.”

And why not. Johnston is just four shots out of the lead and is sure to see his galleries on The National swell if he can keep the momentum rolling.

There’s no reason to believe he can’t with the big stick behaving.

“Drove the ball lovely,” Beef said after his bogey-free second round. “Hit a lot of fairways and you can put yourself in good positions to hit a lot of wedges and 9-irons in on the par 4s and stuff, so you can give yourself some chances. The putter went a bit cold on the back nine, but you just have to stay patient.”

Regardless of what transpires over the weekend, Beef won’t allow himself to be undercooked in one vital area this season – on the range.

“I didn’t put enough work in last year, it’s simple. It showed. So just get down, knuckle down and practice hard.”