Ex-Premier League footballer beats Ryder Cup players in tour event

Colin Montgomerie did warn us that he’d soon be ready to make the full transition from Premier League footballer to senior tour golfer.

And if this week’s result at the Costa Navarino Legends Tour Trophy is anything to go by, there could be a future on the over-50s circuit for Jimmy Bullard.

Bullard, a former midfielder for the likes of Fulham and Hull City in a colourful playing career, is now targeting a career on the Europe-based Legends Tour when he becomes eligible in three years’ time.

And the 47-year-old made an auspicious start to life on the circuit, finishing in a tie for 14th on a leaderboard packed with seasoned pros in a 54-hole tournament in Greece this weekend.

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With rounds of 71-68-72, Bullard finished on a five-under aggregate – the same score as Michael Campbell, the US Open champion of twenty years ago.

Peter Baker was the runaway leader at 16-under, while former Ryder Cup player Stephen Gallacher finished three shots ahead of Bullard in fifth place.

Bullard, an amateur invite to this tournament, managed to outscore the likes of Paul Lawrie and David Drysdale over three days of competition.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the three days,” Bullard said. “I loved every minute of it.”

“I get better every time I go out in competition. The more I put myself in the window. Keep playing with a pencil in my hand, that’s important.

“It’s different than playing with your mates and when we film content with GolfLife. Even though this is GolfLife – we filmed it – it’s different. It’s trying to swing freer, trust your game and enjoy it.”

Having retired from football in 2012, Bullard has thrown much of his energy towards golf.

He is an integral member of the Golf Life YouTube channel, and after making five starts on the now defunct Euro Pro Tour between 2014 and 2016, Bullard is now making a serious run at competitive golf once more.

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Bullard is planning to enter regional qualifying for The Open Championship at Royal Portrush this summer, after withdrawing from the first stage last year due to a back injury.

A series following Bullard’s journey to qualifying has been showcased on the GolfLife Channel.

And Montgomerie, who also featured on the channel recently, certainly thinks Bullard has the game to more than hold his own amongst the legends on the senior circuits.

“Very little you have to work on,” Montgomerie told Bullard in a recent video.

“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.

“If you’re asking the question to me – who hopefully knows a little about the tour – I’m telling you, you are plenty good enough to compete with the legends of the Champions Tour. Already. And that’s without the next three years of giving it loads of graft.”

Ben Parsons is the Senior Writer at bunkered and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.