The Loop

Beef Johnston says he was told beard was "bad for golf"

January 03, 2017
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Andrew "Beef" Johnston is a man of many trademarks. His love of the spirits. A fan-friendly disposition and smile. Punctuating a made putt by wielding his flat stick like a knight raising his lance to the crowd. Yet the Englishman's most distinguishable feature is his beard. Save for the occasional Graham Delaet sighting, whiskers are rarely seen on the golf course. That one of its most colorful characters brandishes a fluffy face bush makes Beef all the more recognizable -- and relatable -- to its galleries.

But according to the man himself, his beard is not universally beloved.

"When I won in Spain, I was going to get rid of it that week," Johnston told BBC Radio 4, "then on social media I got a few messages saying, 'Your beard is bad for golf, it's a bad image.'

"Then I was like, well, I'm going to keep it now."

Beef, sans beard? The mind can't fathom.

Let this be a lesson, kids. Ignore the detractors in your life and follow your heart. There may just be an Arby's endorsement waiting for you.