One Premier League icon was prevented from playing alongside tennis legend Andy Murray over a bizarre beer bottle debacle
Andy Murray was due to have an ex-Premier League partner at one golf tournament before his No. 2 was banned(Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Former Premier League star Jimmy Bullard spoiled his chance to team up with Sir Andy Murray over a contentious beer bottle incident. And it meant the cult figure was prevented from returning to the scene of the incident for a pro-am competition.
Bullard, 47, retired at MK Dons in 2012 and has since become a keen golfer. He’s a regular feature on the ‘Golf Life’ YouTube channel led by former Soccer AM colleague Peter ‘Tubes’ Dales and frequently documents his own efforts around the fairways.
However, the ex-Fulham, Wigan and Hull City star was made to pay after upsetting members at the upmarket Sunningdale Golf Club. This came after he decided to use an empty beer bottle as a makeshift tee at the first hole.
“I’m not allowed to go again. I had a few drinks and I got carried away,” he has since said. “I put a Peroni off the first tee and clipped a ball off it. It’s obviously not the thing to do, so I apologise.”
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Bullard made the reveal during an appearance on snooker legend Stephen Hendry’s ‘Cue Tips’ YouTube channel. And he also used the reference as an opportunity to campaign for his membership at the club being reinstated.
“If there are any Sunningdale members watching, I do apologise,” he said alongside Hendry, who is yet to have his own membership at the club revoked. “I really want to come back.”
Two-time Wimbledon champion Murray is a golf enthusiast himself and has become a frequent fixture on the pro-am circuit. This includes the iconic Sunningdale foursomes competition, which will once again comprise a bevy of star talent in 2026.
Bullard was banned from Sunningdale Golf Club over the incident(Image: INSTAGRAM/@1jimmybullard)
The club clearly took exception to his choice of makeshift tee(Image: INSTAGRAM/@1jimmybullard)
This year’s pro-am tournament is due to get underway on Tuesday, where morning and afternoon play will be split across the Old and New courses. Play will continue through to Friday when the semi-finals and final are due to take place.
Premier League great Gareth Bale will be competing against Murray for the chance to be crowned king of the amateur ranks. Murray is set to partner two-time European Tour winner Eddie Pepperell, while Bale will link up with Matthew Wylie.
Bullard developed a reputation for his loud demeanour as a player(Image: Soccer AM)
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Bullard, on the other hand, will play no part in the competition, which has been run since 1934. Bearing that in mind and the classy nature of the club, it’s little wonder the retired pro’s beer bottle antics got him suspended.
Both Murray and Bale were in action at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship pro-am back in October 2025. The former showed shades of brilliance and surprised fans with his nous around the course, while Wales legend Bale is a cut above on a 0.1 handicap.