Former Premier League footballer Jimmy Bullard is attempting to qualify for The Open Championship at Royal Portrush this July.
The 46-year-old, who played for Fulham, Wigan, and Hull City before retiring in 2012, will compete in regional qualifiers starting in June.
Bullard was forced to withdraw from last year's qualifiers due to a back injury, leaving him on the verge of tears.
The former Soccer AM host announced his qualification attempt in a video on his YouTube golf channel, acknowledging he had "done my back last year, played too much golf so I've got to manage that."
The former Fulham man is aiming for The Open
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Bullard is a scratch-level golfer who runs the YouTube channel Golf Life, which has attracted over 335,000 subscribers. The former footballer competed in five EuroPro tour events between 2014 and 2016, demonstrating his serious commitment to the sport.
His golfing ability has earned praise from several professional players, including Lee Westwood, Ewen Ferguson and former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie.
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Montgomerie told Bullard: "You've got great hands. You've got good speed. When you talk about 111, 112 miles an hour club head speed that is PGA Tour stuff, never mind Champions Tour stuff."
The former Ryder Cup captain added that Bullard was "plenty good enough to compete with the legends of the Champions Tour."
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Jimmy Bullard retire in 2012
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Bullard acknowledged that his back injury was likely "just a one off" and expressed confidence about his recovery, stating "I don't really get injured do I?" However, he admitted reaching a plateau in his golfing development, explaining his motivation for the qualification attempt.
"I feel like the game of golf, I've got to the ceiling of what I know," Bullard said. "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."
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He concluded that he had "exhausted all the stuff I know" and needed professional coaching to progress further.
Regional qualification begins in June at 15 courses across the country, with around 2,000 hopefuls competing for at least 16 places in the tournament. Bullard described his attempt as both a "quest for The Open" and "a quest to make me a better golfer."
He was forced to withdraw last year due to injury
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However, Bullard's golfing reputation has been tarnished by past controversies. He was banned from the prestigious Sunningdale Golf Club in Berkshire, where full membership costs £92,000, following drunken behaviour.
Bullard admitted he "got carried away" after "a few drinks" and "put a Peroni off the first tee and clipped a ball off it." He apologised to club members, saying: "If there are any Sunningdale members watching, I do apologise. I really want to come back."
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