FORMER Premier League star Peter Odemwingie has attempted to qualify for The Open.

And ex-Fulham and Wigan ace Jimmy Bullard also gave it a shot.

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.

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 was one of nearly 2,000 players entering regional qualifying for next month’s Open this week.

The former striker took 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.

“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.

“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 Golf Life YouTube channel.

Bullard also tried last year, but was unfortunately ruled out of qualifying with an injury.

He took to the Rochester and Cobham Park course in Kent.

But unfortunately for him he carded a three-over round of 74, meaning he was three shots off a qualifying position.

Bullard wrote on Instagram afterwards: “Deffo not my day today but loved every minute of it.

“Tried to dig deep but couldn’t find anything.”

Odemwingie will also be missing when the Open starts at Port Rush in Northern Ireland on July 17, having scored a ten-over 82.

The final round of qualifying will begin on July 1, with only around 100 players set to reach that stage.