Johnson enjoys NBCC

NEWPORT BEACH — The chants that defined Mark Johnson are less audible than three years ago and the relative silence has been deafening.

At the Toshiba Classic three years ago, the legend of Mark “Beer Man” Johnson was born. The longtime driver of a beer truck in a desolate part of Southern California called the High Desert, Johnson worked on his golf game when he could. He turned professional with the financial backing of his previous employer and went out on tour, capturing a most unlikely victory at Newport Beach Country Club in 2005.

The career amateur, who was playing in his 14th professional tournament, punctuated his victory with an eagle on the final hole, sinking a wedge from 89 yards to the raucous chants of “Beer Man” by a crowd that had read about his story.

This was supposed to be the start of a storybook career on the Champions Tour, where a blue-collar guy can step into professional golf and succeed.

Instead Johnson’s saga has been more gray than rosy. This week at Toshiba Johnson, who is playing on a sponsor’s exemption, has another chance to hear those chants again. He is three strokes behind the leader, going into today’s final round.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get back here again,” Johnson said. “It’s been a long, probably year and a half. You know, I put a lot of pressure on myself and I expect a lot of high things. I just beat myself up a lot last year and the results showed it.”

Johnson, who wasn’t exempt in 2006, but played in 25 tournaments, finished 65th on the money list, his highest finish a tie for 10th at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am.

It wasn’t an injury that was keeping Johnson back, but his own perfectionist nature.

“It was more mental, you know, and then I wouldn’t trust it,” said Johnson, who finished second at Toshiba in 2006. “I’d get out there on the golf course, and there’s a lot of tournaments I would be hanging in there okay and then I wouldn’t finish well or whatever it was. I’d just give it back. I’d just start beating myself up.”

Johnson found himself with no status for 2008 and an uncertain future on the tour.

“I need a high finish to ... actually, I need to win,” Johnson said. “To keep staying out here, because I’ll have to go back in the same category to get sponsor’s exemptions or finish top 10 or Monday qualify. That’s not a good place to try to make a living out here.”

Johnson Monday qualified for the Allianz Championship a month ago, but finished tied for 50th.

He has a sponsor’s exemption to next week’s Champions Tour event in Valencia, but can automatically get in if he finishes in the top 10. It would be a natural place for a comeback.

“I like this place, it’s been very good to me,” Johnson said of the Newport Beach Country Club. “I’ve had a first and a second. Great memories.”