Indiana golfer struggling on European tour

SAINT OMER, France - Andrew Johnson belongs to the same golf club as Tiger Woods. But not to the same world.\nAs Woods defends his U.S. Open title this week at Olympia Fields near Chicago, fellow Isleworth member Johnson lines up in the $660,000 Saint Omer Open, a modest new event on the European Tour.\nA 31-year-old Ball State University graduate from Columbus, Ind., Johnson is struggling to make his way on the European Challenge Tour.\n"I sure would like to be in Olympia Fields right now," Johnson said Wednesday, the day before the start of the Saint Omer event.\nBack in his Isleworth, Fla., days as a playing pro at the club, Johnson received the kind of casual advice from the world's No. 1 you could not put a price on.\n"Tiger was always extremely helpful," Johnson said. "He watched me hit balls, gave me tips. He wasn't one to stay at a distance. I felt perfectly comfortable asking about his game, and he was very open about it."\nA 1994 management graduate of Ball State, Johnson started out doing odd jobs at Isleworth in 1998.\n"Then I moved into a playing position," he said. "I definitely had a unique opportunity to watch the best player in the world doing what he does. And seeing why. It was a funny feeling at first, being on the range hitting with Tiger. I remember him watching me chipping once and making some comments."\nJohnson played the 2000 and 2001 seasons in Canada, picking up four titles on mini-Tours, including the Moonlight Tour, Slam Tour and Maverick Tour.\nAt the 2002 European Tour School, Johnson missed his card by one shot, finishing 45th.\nOn this year's Challenge Tour, he has scraped through one cut in eight outings.\n"But I'm starting to feel better, and I'm just enjoying playing golf," Johnson said. "The thing is, nothing intimidates you after hitting balls beside Tiger. He's just so good."\nFormer European Ryder Cup players Philip Walton from Ireland and England's Paul Broadhurst are also in the 156-man field.