By Alex Hoad

Andy Smith insists he is not taking part in The Open next week merely to make up the numbers – he wants to make a charge for the Claret Jug itself.

Smith, pictured, was a surprise qualifier for the event at Royal St George’s after his impressive showings in the local qualifying competitions.

The Loose pro, who is attached to Tudor Park, has hit the headlines after his tale of recovering from a serious stomach condition last year before putting golf to one side and earning money through labouring, gardening and odd jobs came to light.

The 26-year-old then had to borrow his qualifying fee and clubs from Tudor Park members. He found an ungrooved wedge in his garage at home and another in the lost and found office at the clubhouse.

Despite that, and the fact he had to pay £25 to play the Littlestone course before qualifying to get a feel for it, his four-under-par led the entire field.

Earlier this week Smith was whisked off to Callaway Golf to be fitted for new clubs while he has also been fielding calls from potential sponsors.

Despite being a 1,000-1 rank outsider with the bookies, Smith has his sights set on the top of the leaderboard.

He said: "People say, ‘would you be happy to make the cut?’ but I am not going to aim for that. I wouldn’t be happy to just make the cut. I want to win the whole thing."