Latest news with #Odemwingie
Wales Online
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Former Cardiff City player attempts to qualify for The Open after taking up golf in his 30s
Former Cardiff City player attempts to qualify for The Open after taking up golf in his 30s The Open will play host to two former elite-level footballers Former Cardiff City star Peter Odemwingie is now a PGA professional. (Image: Iain Findlay - Birmingham Mail. ) Two ex-Premier League stars, including a former Cardiff City player, have qualified for The Open. Ex-Cardiff striker Peter Odemwingie and former Hull City star Jimmy Bullard are among the 2,000 players who will bid to qualify for a spot at Royal Portrush, with regional qualifying taking place across 15 venues throughout the UK and Ireland this week. Just 100 of those will make it through for the final round of qualifying on July 1. Odemwingie, of course, played for Cardiff in the 2013/2014 Premier League season before moving on to Stoke City. The Open is open to everyone, hence the name, and you can enter with a 0.4 handicap or lower for a £200 fee. There will be a number of amateurs on display alongside Odemwingie and Bullard. Former West Bromwich Albion man Odemwingie, 43, teed off at 12.36pm at Enville Golf Club near Dudley outside of Birmingham on Monday, with Bullard getting started at Rochester and Cobham Park in Kent. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community. Odemwingie only picked up golf in his early thirties, but has since qualified as a PGA professional. Speaking to the PGA website last year, Odemwingie said: "My eyes are on the senior tour in the future because I definitely know there is a player in me." Article continues below The former footballer would need to be at least 50 years old to qualify for the elite seniors tour. "This game offers us longevity and if you stay healthy you can play for a long time, as someone like Gary Player shows," continued Odemwingie. "Hopefully when I'm old with a lot of grey hairs I'll be able to tell a pretty cool story about my time playing golf." The winner of The Open wins The Claret Jug and is awarded the title of 'Champion Golfer of the Year'. The likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Rory McIlroy and Seve Ballesteros have claimed it over the years. The Open's official event follows qualifying at the Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland between July 13 and 20. American golfer Xander Schauffele won the 2024 edition, where he also picked up £2.38 million in prize money from a £13.1 million purse. Article continues below As a player, Odemwingie played for a variety of top football clubs. Being born in the then-Soviet Union (Uzbekistan), he came through the academy at CSKA Moscow before starting his senior professional career at Nigerian club Bendel Insurance. His ascent in European football began at West Bromwich Albion after signing from Lokomotiv Moscow. He was a reliable goal scorer for The Baggies before moving on to Cardiff for £2.25 million. A failed move to Queen's Park Rangers resulted in his move to Wales, after he fell out of favour with West Brom boss Steve Clarke. Following his move to Stoke, which was not a success, he had stints with Bristol City, Rotherham United and finally Madura United, an Indonesian outfit, where he finished his career.
Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Ex-Premier League star, 43, known for infamous Sky Sports moment set to play The Open qualifying with Jimmy Bullard
FORMER Premier League star Peter Odemwingie is attempting to qualify for The Open. And ex-Fulham and Wigan ace Jimmy Bullard is also giving it a shot. 3 Peter Odemwingie has taken to golf since hanging up his boots Credit: Getty 3 Striker Odemwingie infamously turned up at Loftus Road in 2013 Advertisement Odemwingie, 43, scored 37 Prem goals across spells at West Brom, Stoke and Cardiff. His spell in English football is also fondly remembered for his attempt to join QPR during the January transfer window in 2013. The Nigeria forward infamously turned up at the West London club's Loftus Road home... even though no deal had been agreed. Odemwingie has already enjoyed significant success since trading his football boots for golf clubs. Advertisement READ MORE GOLF NEWS 'CLEAR THE SPECULATION' Paige Spiranac forced to make statement after viral video Having only taken up the sport in his 30s, the former footballer has qualified as a teaching professional and is hoping to compete on the Champions Tour after he turns 50. For now, Odemwingie is one of nearly 2,000 players entering regional qualifying for The Open this week. The former striker is taking part at the Enville Golf Club in the West Midlands. Odemwingie told the PGA website last year: "I started playing just at the end of my West Brom days because a few of the boys played, and I could see the excitement they had for it. Advertisement BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK "They would go and play on a Tuesday after training, and they'd have their golf gear and be talking about it, but I couldn't understand it because the golf vocabulary is so different to anything else. "Then on one of the pre-season training trips with West Brom, Roy Hodgson took us to a golf resort and people were doing putting and playing full rounds on days off, so I was just passing by the range, and I thought I'd try and hit some balls. The untold story behind Peter Odemwingie's infamous arrival at QPR's training ground on deadline day "I was wearing slippers, but I hit a few, and I loved the sound and watching the ball fly. "It was downhill so it carried further. I thought, 'OK, there's something in this'." Advertisement Bullard, meanwhile, is also a keen golfer. The 47-year-old has been recording his bid to reach The Open on his Golf Life YouTube channel. Bullard also tried last year, but was unfortunately ruled out of qualifying with an injury. He will take to the Rochester and Cobham Park course in Kent. The final round of qualifying will begin on July 1, with only around 100 players set to reach that stage. Advertisement
The Irish Sun
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Ex-Premier League star, 43, known for infamous Sky Sports moment set to play The Open qualifying with Jimmy Bullard
FORMER Premier League star Peter Odemwingie is attempting to qualify for The Open. And ex- 3 Peter Odemwingie has taken to golf since hanging up his boots Credit: Getty 3 Striker Odemwingie infamously turned up at Loftus Road in 2013 Odemwingie, 43, scored 37 Prem goals across spells at His spell in English football is also fondly remembered for his The Nigeria forward infamously turned up at the West London club's Loftus Road home... even though no deal had been agreed. Odemwingie has already enjoyed READ MORE GOLF NEWS Having only taken up the sport in his 30s, the former footballer has qualified as a teaching professional and is hoping to compete on the Champions Tour after he turns 50. For now, Odemwingie is one of nearly 2,000 players entering regional qualifying for The Open this week. The former striker is taking part at the Enville Golf Club in the West Midlands. Odemwingie told the Most read in Golf BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK "They would go and play on a Tuesday after training, and they'd have their golf gear and be talking about it, but I couldn't understand it because the golf vocabulary is so different to anything else. "Then on one of the pre-season training trips with West Brom, Roy Hodgson took us to a golf resort and people were doing putting and playing full rounds on days off, so I was just passing by the range, and I thought I'd try and hit some balls. The untold story behind Peter Odemwingie's infamous arrival at QPR's training ground on deadline day "I was wearing slippers, but I hit a few, and I loved the sound and watching the ball fly. "It was downhill so it carried further. I thought, 'OK, there's something in this'." Bullard, meanwhile, is also a keen golfer. The 47-year-old has been recording his bid to reach The Open on his Bullard also tried last year, but was unfortunately ruled out of qualifying with an injury. He will take to the Rochester and Cobham Park course in Kent. The final round of qualifying will begin on July 1, with only around 100 players set to reach that stage. 3 Jimmy Bullard is a keen golfer Credit: PA
