Londoner Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, the current Spanish Open champion, is the guest of honour on the opening day of the London Golf Show, which takes place at Glow, Bluewater, in Kent, from August 26-28, 2016.
And Johnston, 27, is inviting children aged under 16 to pose questions to him on the show stage as their first steps towards a potential career in golf reporting.
The world number 89 explained: “As a Londoner myself, I really appreciate what the London Golf Show brings to the people of the city and its surrounding areas. Golf is still perceived by some, mistakenly in my view, as an elite sport. I come from a working-class background and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of working-class kids out there who could have an undeveloped talent for the sport.
“Those kids are unlikely to be able to visit Troon for the Open Championship, but they’d jump at the chance to swing a club here, on their doorstep. So, as a way of encouraging even more youngsters to take an interest in golf, I’m inviting kids to email me with their top three questions and the senders of the three best sets of questions will be invited to come on stage at the show on Friday and pose them to me.
“It might prove to be the start of a lifelong passion for golf, or even the start of a career in golf journalism,” added Johnston, with his trademark smile.
The sets of three questions should be sent to askbeef@londongolfshow.com, where they will be judged by Johnston and the team behind the London Golf Show.
Johnston, who is based at North Middlesex Golf Club, is one of world golf’s most recognisable talents. With his bushy beard, down-to-earth attitude and amiable personality he’s quickly become a big cult favourite with golf fans. And, this year, he has matched that popularity with success on the course, winning April’s Real Club Valderrama Open de España, by one shot, and finishing eighth in the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Last year, he sprang to prominence at the BMW PGA Championship, where, in typical unpretentious Johnston style, having made a hole-in-one to win a car, he celebrated with a running chest bump with a friend who was watching him.
Tickets to the London Golf Show – which takes place at Glow, Bluewater, in Kent, from August 26-28 – are free for accompanied under-16s, and also for lady golfers, until August 25. Entry will cost £15 on the door.
The London Golf Show takes place at Glow, Bluewater, in Kent, from August 26-28, 2016. Tickets can be purchased from www.londongolfshow.com/buy-tickets
London Golf Show www.londongolfshow.com