	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

July 27, 2016

Andrew Johnston

Springfield, New Jersey

JOHN DEVER: Good morning, welcome back to the 98th PGA Championship. Pleased to be joined by Andrew Johnston, who is playing in his first PGA Championship.

So let's get this out of the way. May I call you Beef?

ANDREW JOHNSTON: Of course, man. Of course.

JOHN DEVER: You haven't played much golf in America, but you have played a little bit. Is there anything different about the tracks over here, or what are you seeing and feeling?

ANDREW JOHNSTON: No, man. I just treat it like any other golf course where we go, wherever it is, America, England, Australia, wherever. Just treat it the same. Get used to the conditions for that week and then go for it, man.

JOHN DEVER: Played very well about ten days ago or two weeks ago back at Troon. What part of your game was really going that well that week, and is that carrying over for you here this week so far?

ANDREW JOHNSTON: Yeah, I tricked the ball really well in Troon. It was a strange week. I started off, I was struggling a bit in practice, and then I actually went into the Sky Open Zone on Wednesday, and I had a look back when they posted it back out in the evening, and I didn't really like what I saw in my swing. I just felt like I was a little bit low down and a bit far away from the ball.

I said, right, when I get there Thursday, I'm just going to sort of stand up and go for a few different things and I started to hit it nice. I started off and it was a bit iffy the first few holes, but I parred the first few and got on to the fourth, the par 5 and I was right down the right rough and I hit the biggest shank you'll ever see, like straight into the beach, basically.

And from there on, I didn't miss a shot. I finished 2-under that round and then I was going well the next one. I hit one in the train on 11 on the way to Glasgow, and again nearly put the ball on the next train on the next carriage. And then finished really strong there.

So it was kind of like a really up-and-down week. I felt like I chipped and putted well. I was a bit disappointed the way I finished the back nine on Sunday. It should have been a bit better than that. But I just saw it as another learning curve, first time right up there in a major and I'm sure that hopefully next time I'm up there, it will be better than that, yeah.

JOHN DEVER: Well you made a nice impression and played very well.

Q. I understand you got your nickname, Beef, after a childhood friend made fun of your hair calling you a Beefhead. It seems you turned the tables by embracing it. What's your advice to kids that are different?
ANDREW JOHNSTON: Just be yourself. Obviously when I was growing up, we had like -- I was watching Tiger, Sergio, Phil and stuff like that, and I'd go and imitate shots and stuff like that.

But as a personality and stuff, just be yourself, man. Because like the more I've been myself, the more comfortable I've felt out on the golf course. The more I've just had fun and be me, the better I've played.

So you've just got to be comfortable in who you are, what you do. Don't be ashamed to be different or anything, you know, that's you. And no matter who you are, where you are, where you're from, people should embrace that, you know.

Just feel comfortable and enjoy your golf, man, or whatever you do.

JOHN DEVER: Good advice.

Q. Can you just talk a bit about the engagement you've had with the fans here this week, the galleries out on course, but also understand you met up with a bunch of guys on a stag do all dressed as you yesterday.
ANDREW JOHNSTON: Nearly as me. They turned up in ginger beards. I said to one of them, I said, "Who got these beards?"

And they all pointed at one guy. And I was like, "I hope he's buying all the drinks you for you lot, because he's had a shocker there." But it's so nice to see. And I love the support and I love trying to give back my time. I actually had a big learning curve yesterday where I played a few holes, and I was signing so much, I probably shouldn't have done as much on the course and then waited till after.

But it was like the first real time where I've had that much attention. And I come off the course and I was like, that was crazy. That was mad.

It's just a thing of trying to get the right timing to spend time with all the fans, because I love it. I absolutely love it. And it means so much to me. But at the same time, you've got to get your practice in, as well.

So yesterday was a really good day. It was a good learning curve, and I've just got to try and get the balance right and keep enjoying it and keep interacting with the fans, because that's just me. That's just my personality. If someone walks past in the locker room or anything like that, I'll have a bit of fun with them or say hello or whatever, even if I don't know them, so I'm going to keep it that way.

Q. It looks like from social media, you've had a lot of fun adventures over the last ten days or so since the end of the British Open. What's been the most memorable moment in the last couple of weeks and how are you balancing the newfound fame with the preparation for this tournament?
ANDREW JOHNSTON: I think the most fun thing was going behind the counter at Arby's and serving people. They said, did I want to make a sandwich, I said, "No way, I'm too scared to do that." So I was just putting the stuff in the bag and shouting out people's names (laughing) that was probably the most fun. I really enjoyed that.

And yeah, it's always a learning curve with the whole balancing tournaments, you know. I say this every year, oh, we could maybe do this a bit different or I'm going to try and play at this time, that time and it just seems to change week-to-week, month to month and stuff like that.

I always think that you're learning. You're always learning what's best for you and trying to figure out the best way to go about it, but it just seems to change a lot of the time. You've just got to try and keep adjusting and keep trying to get it right.

Q. You spoke about loving giving back. What do you enjoy most about giving back and what specific ways do you like to give back?
ANDREW JOHNSTON: Just spending time, spending time with the fans. If they didn't turn up, we wouldn't have golf tournaments and things like that. So signing stuff, photos, just having a chat with people.

And I've had so many nice messages on Twitter saying, like, oh, I haven't picked up a club in five years, and then I've gone out and played this weekend, which means so much to me.

I've had like people posting videos up of their kids playing and stuff like that. One kid hitting a cheeseburger and I was like, no, no, no, make him hit a golf ball, please (laughing).

But that's really nice, man, and if I can get people playing golf and enjoying it, wanting to get out there, that means the world to me.

Q. What have your fellow professionals been saying? Give us an example of who said what to you out there amongst your peers, your fellow pros.
ANDREW JOHNSTON: They just kind of look at me and just laugh, man. They walk past and a few of the guys would just walk past and I hear them in the locker room and I just hear a "Beeeeeeef" from them. I get on well with most of the guys. It's just general chitchat, a bit of banter.

Q. How did you become an Arby's man?
ANDREW JOHNSTON: How, well, it was funny. I've never actually tried Arby's before I was in Manhattan on Saturday. And obviously we had the -- they come out, asked about the endorsement deal and stuff like that. Went in and had a brisket sandwich, and before that, I had basically gone with the Wall Street Journal to eat three different burgers that night to try them out and like review. I was really full up. But I nearly ate that whole Arby's sandwich, man, it was good.

JOHN DEVER: Very nice.

Q. So many of the players on the Tour are cut from the same image. Do you think that's part of your appeal; that you're just a little bit different and people gravitate to you for that?
ANDREW JOHNSTON: Yeah, I guess so. Like I know a lot of the guys, and they are good people, you know. But obviously everyone's different and some guys are more quiet than others. I don't know, I just seem to enjoy having a good time and having a laugh. So I guess it comes across as a bit different, yeah. That's just me.

Q. It's great fun, but when you go to tee off in this major championship in that heat with the crowds and everything tomorrow, what kind of feelings will you have? Will you be nervous? Do you get nervous in these situations?
ANDREW JOHNSTON: I always think if you don't get nerves, it's not right. Because you're teeing it up in the biggest tournaments and you want to do well; and I always get first tee nerves and like different nerves around the course maybe if you're playing well and stuff like that. But you have to embrace that. You have to enjoy that. You know it's going to happen. And you get there, you play enough events to understand that, yeah, I'm going to be nervous. There's no problem with it. It's no different and you just get used to it.

Q. Can you tell us just about yesterday's practice round, how long do you think it took you all together? How many autographs and were there any good shouts from the crowd?
ANDREW JOHNSTON: It was so slow yesterday. I played the first two holes, and then cut across to the back nine and played from 10 to 18, but it took like four and a half hours or something like that.

I don't know how many I signed. Hundreds. And then I spent about just over an hour after 18 signing stuff. But yeah, it was just a bit slow, and I thought, I'm not going to play 18 in the heat. I'm just going to go and chill out after.

I played the other nine this morning. I played nine this morning early doors, which was a lot quicker. So that's all right. I judged it well I think.

Q. How are you dealing with the heat? I'm wondering, are these the hottest conditions you've ever played in, and would you ever consider shaving the beard? I know you said your girlfriend wanted you to, just to deal with the heat.
ANDREW JOHNSTON: No, the beard's the beard, man. You've got to deal with it.

I don't mind the heat. I much prefer the heat than the cold. It's similar to when you play in Asia. It's not too different. The worst bit about it is going from the cold air-con room and the outside. But once you're out there for like half an hour, it's fine.

Q. How much is The Ryder Cup in your thinking this week, and have you had the chance to speak to Darren Clarke at all?
ANDREW JOHNSTON: No, I haven't spoke to Darren about it. Yeah, of course it's on your mind. You want to get in there and play in it. But I go from day-to-day and week-to-week, you know, so that's quite a way away for me. I need a good week here.

But I'm not going to treat it any differently and see what happens. If I have a good week and I get in, brilliant. And if not, then I'll try and get in in two years' time.

Q. Have you been able to spend a lot of time in Manhattan, and what do you think of New York City?
ANDREW JOHNSTON: Yeah, I haven't spent much time this week. We had Saturday evening, early Sunday. So we went around, yeah, the three burger places and then to Arby's on the Saturday night. Then I took my manager to Katz Deli Sunday for lunch, because I can't find a better place that does pastrami, man. That thing's unreal.

I've been two times before, as well, little holidays and stuff. Yeah, I'm a big fan of the city. I like it, man.

Q. How long have you had the beard, and how often do you trim it?
ANDREW JOHNSTON: I've had it, oh, man, about ten, 11 months now. And not enough, by the look of it now. I know I need a haircut. I need a beard trim. I haven't been able to get down to the barber. It's been a long stretch, and then I just haven't had time to get back and get down into London to get it done. But after this week, I should be able to go and get it done and sort it out.

Q. With everything going on and everything going around you right now, when it comes down to the golf, what are your expectations for this week once you get out there?
ANDREW JOHNSTON: I kind of -- the way I look at every week is that I go and try and prepare as well as I can. So I've put the work in, go and see the course, practice, practice where I need to. Sometimes it's long game. Sometimes it's short game and stuff like that, and I go from day-to-day as the tournament goes on.

Coming from my own experiences, I've come into tournaments feeling so confident, I'm hitting the ball great, I'm putting great and I'm going to miss the cut because I've come in too overconfident.

And other times where I've come in and I'm a bit unsure about my game and I found something on the range, a bit like The Open, a bit like Spanish Open, I wasn't happy the way I was kind of playing. Found something on the range and just kept plugging away, and I've played well.

So I kind of try and keep in that mind of medium kind of feeling, go even though, okay, I'm playing great and that, I'm still got to be patient out there, I've still got to hit the shots and put the scores on the board.

And I don't try and predict too much, because it's golf and it can come back and like bite you really hard. I'll play the first round and kind of evaluate and go, okay, good, man, I played that nice, let's do that again. Or maybe I haven't had the best first round, okay, let's just try and get in for the weekend and change it like that. So I just kind of vary it week-to-week, day-to-day.

Q. Is there ever any concern in your mind that you might become better known for being Beef and the genial character that you are, than a professional golfer?
ANDREW JOHNSTON: It might come across like that to some people, but as I've said before, it's all about the golf. First thing's first is the golf. That's what I grew up doing. That's what I grew up watching and where I wanted to be.

So now I'm here, it's like I want to keep pushing forward, and the first thing, the most important thing is the golf before anything else. I want to come away and look back in so many years and think, yeah, that's been a great time on the golf course. And not going, oh, yeah, well, it was good for that period of time, but we had a good laugh. No, it's all about the golf. That's the first thing's most important, yeah.

Q. That said, it has been a whirlwind last couple of weeks for you. How would you just sum it up in 20, 25 seconds? Describe the journey over the last two, three, four weeks.
ANDREW JOHNSTON: Just crazy, man. Just everything, really, from Spain, playing there, and you think, okay, yeah, head is high, it died down. And then I turned up at Oakmont and it was crazy.

Then yeah, turn up at The Open, play well, and Sunday was -- I'll never forget Sunday there. The first hole was crazy. Like the roars, we walked up to the first, and then I holed the putt on the first. It was just mad and then obviously walking down 18 on Sunday was so special.

And then yeah, coming here, as well, it's just been crazy but yeah, I love it, man.

JOHN DEVER: Beef, it was a pleasure. I hope you have a fantastic week and thank you for your time.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297