UK's Andrew Johnston wins the Challenge Tour 2014

Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements

Andrew Johnston has already tried and failed to make his mark on the European Tour. He gained his card for the 2012 season, but was unable to retain it after a season in which he spent six months on the sidelines with a wrist injury.

The Englishman is back for more, having finished as number one on the Challenge Tour money list - and this time he expects it all to turn out rather differently.

Known as Beef on account of his build, Johnston may well go unrecognised by many of those who followed him back in 2012 as the 25-year-old has spent a lot of time in the gym and is now rather more fussy about what he eats. Johnston had another top 10 finish at the season-ending Dubai Festival City Challenge Tour Grand Final hosted by Al Badia Golf Club.

Johnston first broke on to the scene in the 2011 Challenge Tour season when he came from nowhere to secure the 15th card on offer in the rankings courtesy of a tied third place finish at the season finale. He was a breath of fresh air, full of enthusiasm, pumping his fist and roaring at every holed putt. Off the course, he couldn't believe what he had done, and admitted to being starstruck.
Things are very different now. Johnston has been working hard on his physique, won two Challenge Tour titles, had seven other top-10 finishes, and this time he is ready to take on the world’s elite in The 2015 Race to Dubai.

“It feels awesome to be number one,” Johnston said. “It’s been a great finish to the year here and it’s so good to finish on top. I battled pretty well in Dubai for the four days and never gave up so that was a good feeling and I never thought I would be in this position. You practice and you train hard but you don’t go into a season expecting to come out number one.

“You want to have your separate goals as the year goes on, the first one was to get into the Rolex Trophy and then just to get to the Grand Final and try to get the card, but you never expect to be here in this position.

“I’m looking forward to everything about The European Tour and getting out to play in those great tournaments. There are a lot more cameras around, a lot more people and a lot more noise and I think 2012 was just about getting used to that. When I played Made in Denmark and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship this year, I felt a lot more comfortable and just a lot more relaxed.

“I’m more assured of my game and trust my game a bit more. I’ve learned so much over the last couple of years and that experience really helps. I’m a lot calmer out there now and don’t panic as much.”

It has been a difficult journey, but he believes it has made him a stronger character and, following a gruelling training regime last winter, he has never felt in better nick.

“There were some massive lows,” he said. “It was so frustrating and I got a bit down on myself. Everyone was telling me everything would be all right and I was being told I would be OK in a couple of weeks and then a couple of weeks passed and it wasn’t. It went on like that for a while.

“It was one hard battle of a year, but I learnt to dig deep every week, because I wasn’t playing well but I got some good results. It was tough just to keep my Challenge Tour card that year.

“You just have to have a really good think about what you’re going to do and when you’ve decided you need to stick to it and trust it. It’s the same as on the course, you stick to a certain swing or feeling you’ve got and just trust it for that week. I think it’s the same idea.

“It was mostly just hard training over the winter, I didn’t take a month off or anything like that. I put the work in and got a new personal trainer and he had me working nearly every day and sorted out my diet, which was pretty bad before then!

“He’s built me up and keeps pushing me and my body feels good. I feel a lot more athletic and powerful through the ball and I’m nowhere near as tired as well so that’s made a massive difference. I still have a lot of work to do but I’m on the right track.

“You have to believe you can win on The European Tour, put yourself in the position and give yourself the chance and hope it happens.”

He can win - don't be surprised if he does so.

Derek Clements is a sports journalist with a particular passion for golf with over 12 years of experience covering golf and other sports including Chief Sub-Editor on the sports desk of The Sunday Times. To contact Derek email direct via [email protected]