Bullard, Odemwingie Fall Short in Open Qualifying
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- Jimmy Bullard shot a one-over 72 at Rochester & Cobham Park, finishing outside the top eight needed to progress to Final Qualifying.
- Peter Odemwingie, who has trained as a PGA professional since retiring from football, carded a 12-over 84 at Enville.
- Over 2,000 golfers competed across 16 venues on Monday in one-day, 18-hole Regional Qualifying events, each offering places into Final Qualifying on June 30.
- YouTuber George Bryan — one half of the Bryan Bros Golf channel — was the standout non-pro performer, advancing with a three-under 68 at Hesketh.
- Fellow content creators Peter Finch (two-over 72 at Lindrick) and Rick Shiels (four-over 76 at Caldy) failed to match Finch's successful 2025 qualifying campaign.
- Ex-Somerset cricketer Peter Trego (eight-over 80 at Minchinhampton) and former Winter Olympian Kevin Esteve (three-over 73 at North Hants) also missed out on progression.
- The Open runs July 16-19 at Royal Birkdale, with Scottie Scheffler returning as defending champion after his Royal Portrush victory completed the third leg of the career Grand Slam.
Why it matters: Of the non-tour celebrities who attempted Regional Qualifying, only YouTuber George Bryan advanced, while the headline-friendly former Premier League pair finished well off the qualifying pace — underscoring how steep the gap remains between retired athletes and major-championship-level golf.
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