Premier League cult hero, 46, to play in qualifying tournament for The Open as he goes for golf glory
PREMIER LEAGUE cult hero Jimmy Bullard is swapping the pitch for the pitching wedge was he tries to qualify for golf's oldest major.
Bullard, 46, is going to be taking a swing at qualifying for The Open at Royal Portrush this July.
4
4
The retired midfielder spent his career playing for the likes of Wigan Athletic, Hull City and Fulham as he earned a reputation as one of football's funniest personalities.
But since hanging up his boots in 2012, Bullard has shifted his full focus onto the golf course.
The former Soccer AM host is always out on the course and has managed to whittle his handicap down to play off scratch.
While he is also one of the faces of popular YouTube golf channel 'Golf Life', which boasts over 335,000 subscribers.
Bullard did announce plans to try and qualify last year, but was forced to pull out before the first stage even began with a back injury.
Now he's back fighting fit and has announced his intention to qualify in a video on the Golf Life channel.
He said: "Done my back [last year], played too much golf so I've got to manage that.
'But I think that's just a one off to be honest. I don't really get injured do I? Quest for The Open, yes. But a quest to make me a better golfer.
4
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
'I feel like the game of golf, I've got to the ceiling of what I know. All my scores are like level par, one-under, I've reached my ceiling.
'How do I get to the next level shooting four, five, six under? Is it available to me with my ability? I don't know. But I feel I've come to the end where I need a coach. I've exhausted all the stuff I know.'
Rangers star Todd Cantwell spotted at world famous golf course with Sky Sports star and Premier League legend
Bullard has enlisted the help of coach Hugh Marr to help him on his journey.
The 'Bulldog' will be one of many scratch handicappers who will try their luck at qualification into this year's Open.
The Open process sees a field of approximately 2,000 hopefuls whittled down until at least 16 are granted entry to the tournament proper.
This year's Open, the 153rd edition of the tournament, will be played at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland from July 17-20.
But regional qualification begins on June 23 at 15 different courses across the UK and Ireland.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
I bought an abandoned house with no electric for 75p – I've funded renovations by sharing my DIY online
A YOUNG woman has revealed how she transformed an abandoned house and got paid for it in the process. Tia Weston bought the abandoned property for just 75p and quickly got to work with her dad to turn it into her dream home. 3 3 Taking to YouTube, Tia said: "I'm taking you through the full start to finish process of turning this abandoned house into my dream home. "It had no heat, no water, no electricity and it was used for storage for over 30 years. "It was in such bad shape that at one point it was going to be given to the fire department to be burnt down." She said that in total it cost her £29,000 to renovate the property. While some of the money came from selling her previous home, some of the cash came from sharing the renovation journey online. Through posting the transformation on YouTube she was able to get revenue from advertisements to help fund the cost. Tia and her dad had their work cut out for them, some of the wood on the roof had gone rotten and the flooring was also affected. She also had to pay to get the entire house to have electricity running through it as well as new windows because the house was so old. New plumbing also had to be fitted into the house so that Tia could renovate the bathroom. After the basics were done, Tia moved on to clearing the house out and redecorating the space. 3 Mrs Hinch raves about £2 Home Bargains buy that 'adds charm to your garden' & a £10 product that's 'cheaper than Amazon' The house had been left in disarray and used to store wood and old furniture. But she managed to transform it into a colourful modern space for herself. Inside the house, she used a light, pine wood for the floors, doors and finishes to add some much needed light into the home. She used pastel colours throughout to make it more homely as well. Home upgrades that add the most value to a house The best renovation to add value totally depends on your property, the local market and your potential buyers. Zoopla shared a list of upgrades that will instantly add value to your home. Loft conversion - increase of 15% Off-street parking - adds £50,000 to property price New kitchen - increase of 15% Garage conversion - increase of 15% Cellar or basement conversion - increase of 10-15% Open plan living space - increase of 3-5% New bathroom - increase of 3-5% The transformation had left people stunned and they were quick to praise Tia and her dad for their hard work. One person wrote: "The coolest part is that you did this all with your dad. You will always hold this memory in your heart." Another commented: 'I am a 61-year-old lifetime remodeler. You did a GREAT job young lady!" "Well done. You've done an amazing job," penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "I wish more people would renovate instead of tearing down older houses. You all did such a great job!" Someone else added: 'The contrast between where you started and where you ended up is insane! Your hard work has really paid off."
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Ex-footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas jailed over £600,000 cannabis smuggling plot
A former Arsenal academy footballer had a 'catastrophic error of judgment' when he engaged in a £600,000 drug smuggling plot while he was out of contract. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was arrested after officers from the National Crime Agency seized cannabis as it was being brought through Stansted Airport by his girlfriend and her friend. Chelmsford Crown Court in Essex previously heard how the women, whom Emmanuel-Thomas recruited, believed they were importing gold. Yet Border Force officers detected roughly 60kg (132lb) of the drug in two suitcases, which had arrived in the UK from Bangkok, Thailand, via Dubai. The 34-year-old footballer, of Cardwell Road in Gourock, Inverclyde, was arrested in the town in September 2024. He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of cannabis between July 1 2024 and September 2 2024. Emmanuel-Thomas was sacked by Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton after his arrest last year. Prosecutor David Josse KC told Chelmsford Crown Court the 'interception' of the two women – Emmanuel-Thomas's girlfriend Yasmin Piotrowska and her friend Rosie Rowland – happened at the airport. He said it 'became apparent this defendant, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, had been involved in their recruitment to travel to Thailand '. He noted Emmanuel-Thomas 'had played a few games, 11 in total, for a club in Thailand'. The barrister said Emmanuel-Thomas had 'some awareness and understanding of the scale of the operation' and was acting in an 'operational management function' in the plot. He pointed out the defendant's 'relationship with Ms Piotrowska' when describing the recruitment of the two women. The footballer, whose former clubs include Ipswich, Bristol City, QPR, Livingston, Aberdeen and Thai side PTT Rayong, was sentenced on Thursday. The bearded defendant wore a grey suit jacket and black shirt, with his long hair swept back as he listened to proceedings from the secure dock. Ms Piotrowska sat in the public gallery and wept for much of the hearing. Alex Rose, for Emmanuel-Thomas, said: 'The financial gain in this case for Mr Emmanuel-Thomas was £5,000.' Mr Rose said the defendant was a father-of-two and had made a 'catastrophic error of judgment'. He said a 'period of being out of contract led to very significant financial hard times' and he 'succumbed to temptation'. 'Although he had previously experienced periods of being in between contracts or – putting it another way – being unemployed as a footballer, they had largely been on the back of fairly lucrative long-term contracts,' said Mr Rose. He said the 'situation was rather different in the background to this'. 'Having been out of contract prior to signing for Greenock Morton, he had a brief contract with Kidderminster Harriers but that was very much a short-term contract, almost to try to assist someone he had a good relationship with,' he said. Mr Rose continued: 'His football career is finished and that's something he has brought entirely on himself. 'It's a devastating blow for somebody who had such promise and such an impressive football career.' Judge Alexander Mills, jailing Emmanuel-Thomas for four years, said: 'It's through your own action that you will no longer be known for playing professional football. 'You will be known as a criminal. A professional footballer who threw it all away.' The judge said Emmanuel-Thomas had played five games for Greenock Morton and was on a £600 per week contract at the time of the incident. He said the defendant 'recruited' his girlfriend and her friend and was 'essentially turning the importation of cannabis into an all-expenses paid holiday in the Far East', arranging business class flights, hotel costs and discussing in messages how to maximise their time on the Thai island of Ko Samui. Emmanuel-Thomas looked straight ahead as the judge read out his sentence. He nodded towards the public gallery as he was led to the cells. Ms Piotrowska, 33, of Purves Road, Kensal Rise, north-west London, and Ms Rowland, 29, of Southend Road, Chelmsford, Essex, denied the charge and at an earlier hearing prosecutors offered no evidence in their case. Mr Josse said at an earlier hearing that the women 'said they thought they were importing gold not cannabis', and the judge directed that not guilty verdicts be recorded for them.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Wet and windy weekend! Met Office warns of 40mph gusts in London plus as much rain on Saturday as ALL that fell in May - but heat will rise to 25C next week
Brits are warned of 'unseasonably windy conditions' this weekend, while as much rain as England experienced in the whole of May could fall in just a few hours, the Met Office has predicted. Forecasters said about 30mm of rain could fall in just three hours in southern parts of the UK, with up to 50mm over the course of the day. Met Office data shows England had 32.8mm of rain last month, almost half the month's usual average. They have forecast heavier and more frequent showers on Saturday, with hail and thunder possible and some unseasonably strong winds in coastal areas. There could also be a risk of surface-water flooding, which 'could lead to challenging driving conditions'. From June 1 to June 3 there has already been 10.7mm of rain, a fifth of the 50.9mm recorded for the UK during May. Sunday looks to be drier and the better day of the weekend, before further rain in northern England on Monday. Meteorologist Honor Criswick said the wet weather was because of low pressure. She said: 'At the north of the country this brings in a north-westerly wind, so gradually drags in frontal systems out from the west and south-west, and that leads to some pretty changeable and wet weather at times.' Met Office spokeswoman Andrea Bishop said the weather for the rest of the week would be 'changeable'. She said: 'Generally the theme is the continuation of something a bit cooler, a bit breezy at times, and a bit wet at times too. 'We are keeping an eye on a new front which looks like it will move in on Friday night, bringing rain which could be heavy, and possibly thundery at times on Saturday. 'Rainfall totals of 20mm to 30mm are likely in places and, at present, this looks like it will affect the southern half of the UK. 'We are keeping a close eye on this to see how it evolves over the next 24 hours or so.' Next week temperatures will rise to above average for the time of year, with highs of 25C next Wednesday in London and 23C in Manchester. The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said the change in weather would be welcomed by many farmers. Rachel Hallos, NFU vice president, said: 'After such a dry start to the year, this weekend's rainfall will be welcome in many areas. 'However, heavy downpours aren't the ideal way to restore soil moisture, what farmers really need is steady, consistent rainfall to support crops and grazing without causing run-off or damaging soils. 'These changing weather patterns, from long dry periods to intense bursts of rain, highlight the need for long-term planning and investment in water, particularly the water we need to produce the food we enjoy. 'Things like rainwater harvesting and more flexible abstraction rules are important steps in adapting to these new conditions.' Luke Hindle, duty manager for National Highways, urged drivers to plan journeys carefully.
