When Warren Bladon follows his playing partners Brett Quigley from the USA and Australian Michael Wright and is announced onto the first tee at Royal Liverpool this morning, he will be back in big-time golf.

How long this hot 'Blade' stays there depends on how he fares over the next 18 holes.

Bladon is the first to admit that his lack of practice is a distinct disad-vantage, but at least pressure will not be a problem.

Ten years ago, when the man from Coventry played his first Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, Bladon was newly crowned Amateur champion, of whom great things were expected. It was the same at Royal Troon the following year, by which time he had turned pro and was trying to find his way in the game. But, a decade on, it's a different story.

The man who now carves out a living as a picture framer and part-time plumber's mate plays only for laughs these days. And he surprised everyone but himself when he came through three rounds of qualifying to earn his place at Hoylake.

It was funded only by the generosity of his other half, Caroline, who will head up to the Wirral with Bladon's mum this morning to watch her man tee off and protect her original £110 investment. But, even if he finishes plumb last and fails to add to the £2,000 prize money assured just by being here, Bladon will still have confounded expectations.

He is the man rated the 1,000/1 rank outsider by the bookies. And everything points to him heading back to Warwickshire tomorrow night.

But there was an unmistakable gleam about Bladon's demeanour as he stood surveying his chances with cold beer in hand amidst a packed tented village at sun-baked Hoylake yesterday afternoon.

"No-one fancies me," he admitted. "And they're right not to, given how little I've been playing.

"But, if I didn't think I stood a chance of at least making to the final two days, then I wouldn't be here.

"I'm pretty happy with my game. I shot 69 round Trentham in the regionals, then 70 and 72 at Conwy on a course similar to what we will have this week. And what I'd give to start off with three more rounds like that.

"But I suppose it all comes down to how my short game stands up to it, especially on a course like this, where the fairways are so hard it looks like it'll run forever and with rough so dry it looks like it's about to catch fire any minute.

"I just hope I can putt like I did in that final round at Conwy when I had five single putts in the final five holes, all between four and ten feet, three of them to save par.

"Had those not gone in, I wouldn't even be here. But, now I am, I'm just looking to enjoy every minute of it."

Bladon will not be the only former Warwickshire amateur looking to impress. His old county team-mate Paul Broadhurst is certainly not one to write off Bladon's chances.

"He's always been erratic," said Broadhurst. "I beat him in the Warwickshire schools in a sudden death play-off round Kenilworth. I'll bet he doesn't remember that. But the Warwickshire team we then had with Warren in it was second to none. Myself, Paul Downes, James Cook, Carl Suneson, Warren - we could put out a ten-man team all off plus handicaps.

"And when he's on his game he can play. You don't win the British Amateur if you can't play."

Another Midlander John Bicker-ton was Bladon's partner in his final practice round on Tuesday. And he too refuses to dismiss the 1,000/1 shot.

"Golf throws up all sorts of surprises," said Bickerton. "It could be his time to do well and, if he does make some money out of it, good luck to him."

But Bladon's own reading of the situation is the most pragmatic. "Put it this way," he grinned. "I've got one boss up here caddying for me and the other watching me, along with several of my mates. But, while I can dream, I know they're all expecting me back at work next week."