English golfer Andrew 'Beef' Johnston edges closer to return after his long-term injury

Andrew 'Beef' Johnston will be back in the professional golf circuit after a nine-month hiatus at the Joburg Open in November. The English golfer was last seen at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January 2023 where he finished T38 on the leaderboard.

He had been pretty inactive from competitive golf due to a recurring hand injury. He was seen at the Portugal Masters in November 2021. Since then, the Englishman has only played one aforementioned tournament earlier this year on the DP World Tour.

Now, Andrew 'Beef' Johnston has revealed that he will be back to full-time golfing as his surgery recovery is completed. He hopes to make his return to the DP World Tour in the 2024 season which starts in South Africa at the Joburg Open in November 2023.

The 34-year-old English golfer announced his return on social media. He was quoted by 'Golf Monthly' as saying,

"I can't wait. Since I've been back from the Ryder Cup I've been practicing hitting balls and the hands getting better all the time."

Andrew 'Beef' Johnston shared that he has started a new training program that brought him more mobility. He is hopeful to find the right balance and stay away from any further injury.

"I've started a new program where I am doing a lot more mobility in the gym, a lot more stretching,dand hopefully I can find the balance were I become more flexible and don't become injured again," Johnston said.

Johnston also expressed his desire to play all four events on the DP World Tour at the end of this year and contend for a spot in the 2025 Ryder Cup for the European team.

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A look at Andrew 'Beef' Johnston's career so far

The 34-year-old English golfer decided to turn professional back in 2009 after a successful amateur golf career. Playing on the Jamega Pro Golf Tour in The Warwickshire tournament in 2009, he registered his first professional victory.

Andrew 'Beef' Johnston then went on to play on the Challenge Tour. He registered two victories in the 2014 -- Scottish Hydro Challenge after defeating Moritz Lampert, and Terry Pilkadari and Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge after defeating Byeong Hun An, Connor Arendell, Jens Fahrbring, and France Clement Sordet (a).

He was moved forward to compete on the DP World Tour after consistent performances. After registering a solid solo third finish at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in 2014, he became a regular competitor on the Tour in 2015.

His breakout season came in 2016 when he won his first title on the Tour. He defeated Joost Luiten by one stroke at the Real Club Valderrama Open de Espana. In the same year, Andrew 'Beef' Johnston recorded his best finish at the majors, competing in the Open Championship where he finished solo eighth on the leaderboard.