The Open 2016: Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston will play cat Top Trumps with his five-year-old niece after vaulting into contention

ANDREW 'BEEF' JOHNSTON will spend the afternoon playing cat Top Trumps with his five-year-old niece after vaulting into contention at the Open.

The Englishman is currently the leading home hope after a second straight round of two-under-par 69.

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With an early tee time at Troon today he was finished by 1pm and so faces a long wait before his third tomorrow.

But he has no problem filling the time till then with little Summer.

Johnston, who had fans waving burgers at him during his second round, said: "My mum, sister and niece are over so I'll probably be playing Top Trump cats this afternoon.

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"She hammered me yesterday so I want to get her back. She knows all the cards.

"She's getting into the golf. I can hear her shouting 'Beef' every hole now and 'Beef to the rescue' she came out with today. She cracks me up."

Beef overcame a triple bogey seven on the treacherous 11th with birdies on three of the last four holes to sit six behind leader Phil Mickelson.

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And he admitted it was a dreaded shank that almost wrecked his Open dream.

Johnston, 27, added: "I got onto the fourth on Thursday and I hit the most pure shank. I haven't hit one since I was 12 years old. I lost a ball. After that I flushed it.

"It was similar today until 11 when I shanked a three-wood. It's odd. Two funny ones and then bounce back again."