Footballer-turned-golfer Jimmy Bullard has failed in his bid to qualify for The Open for the second consecutive yr.
The ex-Fulham fan favorite, 47, was one among greater than 2,000 novice gamers competing in Regional Qualifying occasions final weekend.
Solely the highest 124 gamers on the day made it by way of to Last Qualifying and Bullard, who performs off scratch, simply missed out at Rochester & Cobham Park golf club.
The previous Soccer AM host admitted before-hand that he ‘took a stab at nighttime’ by deciding to compete after ‘not taking part in nice’ within the weeks main as much as the occasion.
And Bullard’s spherical received off to a nightmare begin when he sliced a driver method proper of the golf green on the 439-yard par 4 first gap. It left him no selection however to chip out of the heavy tough, earlier than failing to get up-and-down for a par.
The retired footballer then pulled himself again to stage par with a birdie on the third earlier than parring six consecutive holes and birdying the tenth to take him to -1.
Jimmy Bullard has failed in his bid to qualify for The Open for a second consecutive yr
The ex-Fulham star recorded a +1 at Rochester & Cobham Park golf membership, however missed the minimize
Nonetheless a wayward iron shot on the par three eleventh meant he needed to accept a bogey, earlier than one other battle on eleven noticed him end +1, two pictures off the minimize.
Talking on his Golf Life YouTube channel afterwards, Bullard admitted his ‘actually unhealthy’ driving on the entrance 9 finally price him.
‘We had a stab at it, did not we?’, Bullard instructed his co-host, Tubes. ‘Began actually unhealthy, could not discover my driver.
‘I ultimately discovered it, and it was actually good again 9. I wedged it nicely and I used to be placing so nicely. I believe it (qualifying) was doable, I believe I may have completed it. I believe I had an opportunity.
‘I simply felt it was there. I began so badly with that tee shot on one. Approach too aggressive.
‘I liked it although. We’ll maintain going. I do consider I can get by way of to the second stage. It is in there.’
Ex-Stoke Metropolis striker Peter Odemwingie, one other eager golfer, additionally tried his luck at qualification however struggled badly at Enville golf membership, recording a measly 12-over 84.
YouTube golfers Peter Finch and Rick Shiels and former Somerset cricketer Peter Trego have been additionally among the many listing of celebrities to have competed – however not one of the trio managed to make the minimize.
Bullard, in the meantime, managed to beat his effort finally yr’s occasion on the identical course when he completed 4 strokes adrift of progressing.
The previous midfielder has been an avid golfer since retiring in 2012, and beforehand competed in 5 of the now defunct EuroPro tour occasions between 2014 and 2016.
He later joined Tubes’ Golf Life YouTube channel, on which he performs towards footballers previous and current on the golf course. Stars akin to Mason Mount, James Maddison, John Terry and Matty Money have all featured on the channel.
