Mixed opinion to Andrew Johnston's introduction as Beef at The Open
By Ali Stafford and Keith Jackson at Royal Birkdale
Last Updated: 21/07/17 4:23pm
Andrew "Beef" Johnston's unusual introduction to the Royal Birkdale crowd has generated mixed opinions at The Open.
Johnston struck the opening tee shot of Friday's action at Royal Birkdale, starting at 6.35am in damp and breezy conditions, where the official starter gave him a different title.
Rather than sticking to his traditional name, the announcer introduced him to the packed grandstand as "Beef" Johnston, leading to plenty of debate about whether that was the correct decision.
The unexpected move was cleared by the fan favourite, who later revealed that the official starter, David Lancaster, had approached him on Thursday saying: "I'm going to manage you as 'Beef', do you mind?" And, of course, Johnston was "cool with it".
Here's what the Sky Sports pundits made of the incident…
David Livingstone
"I really liked it. It proved that the R&A have a sense of humour, and it also shows that you can have fun at a serious golf championship - especially when Beef is involved!
"It was certainly unexpected, but I really enjoyed it and it was a nice touch from the R&A to engage more with the public. You would not have seen that 20 years ago, so I thought it was refreshing."
Di Dougherty
"I wasn't really a fan of that, but that's not to say I didn't dislike it. I'm just a real traditionalist, particularly when it comes to The Open, and I'd rather players were introduced more formally."
Claude Harmon
"I thought it was great, I've got absolutely no problem with that at all. The more we can have people engaged in the game, then the more accessible we can make it by introducing that element of fun. It's a step in the right direction from the R&A, I agree with it and I think it could be good for the game"
Thomas Bjorn
"I don't think it's right, to be honest. When you start introducing players by their nicknames, you could be getting into some tricky situations. At an Open Championship, I would expect him to be announced as Andrew Johnston, and that's it.
"Nicknames are for commentators to use in the coverage, or for fans or journalists when they're talking about golf, and I don't think we should forget that his name is Andrew, not Beef, especially on the first tee at The Open."
Should Johnston be introduced by his birth name or welcomed as Beef at the first tee? Let us know by casting your vote below!
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