GOLF:

If you listen hard enough you can almost hear the chants of “Beer Man, Beer Man” that reverberated through the fairways at Newport Beach Country Club in 2005.

That echo has faded in the four years, but Mark Johnson, the man whose name the crowds were chanting, hopes to hear them again.

Johnson, who won the 2005 Toshiba Classic now had to get a sponsor’s exemption to play in it and he hopes he can parlay the favor into a career comeback.

“I had two nice really solid years and then I struggled the next couple,” Johnson said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself. I didn’t know what to expect when I came out here. Once I won so quick I felt I should be able to do a little better each time. It was a struggle.”

In 2005 Johnson was the toast of the Champions Tour. A former star amateur turned professional, ditching his job of driving a beer truck in the Southern California High Desert to live his dream of playing professional golf.

He entered 2005 as the medalist from the 2004 Qualifying School, earning his card after his second attempt. He was unknown, joining the tour the same year as marquee players Loren Roberts and Curtis Strange.

Though Johnson only had eight Champions Tour events as experience, he began 2005 solidly and in his fifth event, the Toshiba Classic, captured a victory.

Johnson entered the final hole in the final round with a two-shot lead over Keith Fergus and had a crowd gathering around for the inevitable celebration. The gallery, many with drinks in hand, was chanting the nickname Johnson had earned by driving a beer truck for 18 years.

He sat over an 89-yard third shot needing just to land it on the green and two-putt, but decided to give the crowd one last thrill, holing out a gap wedge that found the bottom of the cup.

It seems less than four years since that moment, but for Johnson it probably seems like an eternity.

“You just think it’s never going to end,” Johnson said. “Then you start wondering if you belong out here. It’s an awful feeling. I would get embarrassed if I hit a bad shot.”

Johnson kept his card for two years, easily finishing in the top 30 on the money list to earn full playing privileges. But in the 2007 season his best finish was a tie for 10th and he lost his card.

“It’s hard to get out here and it’s even harder to stay out here,” Johnson said. “The first two years I got off to great starts so it was kind of easy because the pressure was kind of off. Then I got off to a rough start and then I just kept putting the pressure on each tournament. I wanted to have a good tournament so I could get back in the thick of things.

Last year Johnson had to rely on sponsor exemptions and the dreaded Monday qualifier. He got into 16 events, 10 of which were sponsor exemptions, but couldn’t earn enough money to get his card back.

“I was beating myself up on the golf course,” Johnson said. “I had a good amateur career and never beat myself up that bad. It just meant so much to me to stay out here. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

The pressure mounted and Johnson was trying not to let it affect his game.

“My sponsors keep telling me, ‘Don’t worry about it, don’t put all this pressure on yourself.’” Johnson said. “It’s easier said than done. I just have to go back to what I’m used to do.”

This week’s Toshiba is his first event of the season made possible by a sponsor’s exemption given to him by Tournament Executive Director, Jeff Purser.

“I went back and forth on all the exemptions,” Purser said. “Gary (McCord) is here on an exemption. Ian Woosnam is here on an exemption. It wasn’t easy because I didn’t give one to Paul Hahn, who’s the host professional and a good friend of mine. It’s a business decision as well as a decision about field. It wasn’t an easy decision because that means I have to tell no to 20 other qualified guys who really should be on this tour and have eligibility quite frankly.

“I think it is wrong there is not a category for each respective event for past champions to be exempt,” Purser said. “That doesn’t mean as a past champion you have access to every event, but as a past champion of that particular event you should be able to play in that event. It is about competition, but it’s about entertainment too. People want to see the past champions. I had to decline two past champions. It was a tough decision.”

Johnson hopes he can justify Purser’s decision.

‘I feel very good about this golf course,” Johnson said. “It’s always been good to me. I’ve had three good tournaments here. I hope to get my card back. I’m going to get out there have a good week and get some confidence back.”

JOHN REGER’S golf column appears Thursdays. He may be reached e-mail at [email protected].