Could Johnson re-emerge on the European Tour?

London-born Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston made a breakthrough on the European Tour in the 2016 season by winning the Open de Espana to secure his first crown. He became a cult hero with his performances on the tour and eventually the majors, recording a top-10 finish at The Open.

However, he was unable to sustain his success on the European Tour and at the majors, although he was competitive at the US Open and The Open in 2017 by making the cut. Appearances at the elite tournaments have dried up since, but he has remained a presence on the European Tour without pulling up trees. In 2018, he almost made a mark at the Hero Indian Open in Delhi, only to lose out to his compatriot Matt Wallace in a playoff by one stroke.

Johnston returned to form over the course of 2021 in the United Kingdom. Many on the tour and spectators will be pleased to see the 32-year-old getting back to his best form, although still has a long way to go before he can challenge for major honours. Tyrell Hatton is the leading Englishman in the minds of the bookmakers to attempt to win The Open in 2022, being backed at 22/1 in the golf betting odds to win the Claret Jug.

A return to competitive action in the tournament would be a step in the right direction for Johnston and, if he flashes his best form in 2022, he could channel that momentum into a similar result to his performance at Royal Troon. There are few courses in the world that provide a setting better than St Andrews’, and there will an opportunity for one player on the tour to make their mark at the famous course.

Johnston went through peaks and troughs in 2021 over the course of the campaign. Wentworth saw his top performance of the season as he battled for the BMW Championship. He played arguably played the best golf of his career to match the leading contenders in the field, but lost out by three strokes to American Billy Horschel, placing in sixth-overall alongside Justin Rose. Johnston saved his top round for last with a seven-under 65, which was the best display of the day out of the entire field. If he had produced that level of form earlier in the competition, he may have secured a famous win.

Johnston has since played solid golf on the tour without excelling. He was on form at the Mallorca Open to place in seventh, but then took a step back at the Portugal Masters with an even-par performance that resulted in a 47th-place finish. The 32-year-old was made to rue one poor round in Vilamoura that knocked him off the pace, although he was unlikely to be able to challenge the eventual winner Thomas Pieters anyway.

He has yet to compete in 2022, but unlike over the past two years, Johnston has a solid platform to build his season on and may yet have another charge at a major in him.