Former Wigan Athletic, Fulham and Hull City midfielder Jimmy Bullard is playing a pro golf tournament next month as part of his preparation for The Open qualifying. The 45-year-old, who was previously called up to Fabio Capello's England squad, is a scratch golfer with hopes of appearing at this year's final major.
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Bullard has traded sporting fame for TV and internet fame since hanging up his boots back in 2012. Crippling injury issues forced an end to his football career, but he can now be seen regularly on YouTube as part of the TUBES & ANGE GOLF LIFE channel.
With his cult football following and thousands of YouTube viewers cheering him on, Bullard has decided to try and qualify for The Open later this year. He is free to enter qualifying due to his 0 handicap.
Regional qualifying begins in late June, and Bullard has signed up for a Clutch Pro Tour event at Tandridge on May 16 to aid his preparation.
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"Bullard confirmed for Tandridge!" read a statement on the Clutch Pro Tour Instagram account. "As part of his Quest for the Open Jimmy Bullard will be playing in our pro event at Tandridge on May 16th as he gets his reps in ready for open qualifying! You can still enter this event via our website if you’d like the chance of playing along Jimmy!"
Bullard tried and failed to qualify for The Open back in 2013, the year after he retired from football. On that occasion the east Londoner shot a +6 round of 78 and missed the qualifying mark by four shots.
This time around Bullard, who scored 14 Premier League goals and was adored by fans for his upbeat personality, will hope for a different outcome. He can count on his prior experience of competing at the third tier of professional golf - the PGA EuroPro Tour.
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"Becoming a pro is quite simple," he explained on the Golf Life YouTube channel. "But if you're a touring pro and you've got to earn some money that's a different ball game. I think I could compete at EuroPro level. Could I win one? Probably not. If I put my mind to it, could I make a few cuts and earn a few quid? Probably.
"I reckon I could if I really dedicated myself. It's third tier, then you've got the Challenge Tour above that. For me, the EuroPro Tour is a stepping stone to get to the Challenge Tour. And then you've got the main tour.
"I think I could compete at EuroPro [level] but it doesn't pay the bills. I put so much effort into my footy career that I didn't have the drive you need. I'm not there trying to take part, I want to compete. It was so tough."
