12 months after watching the British Open at St Andrews form his couch following surgery to remove a cancerous tumour, Matthew Southgate is preparing to play at the 2016 Open Championships.

SOUNDBITE (English) Matthew Southgate, English golfer:

(On what happened to him this time last year)

"I played the Open qualifying last year and then came home and was diagnosed with testicular cancer. I was sidelined for the week of the Open and that was the week they removed the problem. The previous year, I'd played in the Open at Hoylake. So it's nice to be back playing. Sitting there last year really gave me the inspiration to come back again and qualify, That final qualifying, everybody is trying hard but there is a little bit extra in the tank for me. It's a tournament that means so much to me and obviously with it being a year to the day since my problems, it's a special thing for me to be doing. That extra bit of focus got me through that qualifying really well and now I can't wait to get out there and start playing."

SOUNDBITE (English) Matthew Southgate, English golfer:

(On his recovery from the operation)

"I didn't walk for a couple of weeks. Everything was very gentle at the start, chipping balls, a lot of putting. Once I could make a full swing, I took my girlfriend's clubs with the lighter shafts. She didn't mind me borrowing them and I managed to get out, hit some shots and get ready for tour school. Obviously not the best prep using a different set of clubs."

SOUNDBITE (English) Matthew Southgate, English golfer:

(On returning to golf)

"I thought some long-term goals, because of the sentimental stuff of the Open, I could maybe come back and play another Open through qualifying. But I thought career, Tour life, was dead and buried. It wasn't the case, and I'm very lucky and grateful."

SOUNDBITE (English) Matthew Southgate, English golfer:

(On his three-year-old niece Hattie who has leukaemia)

"We all wear the wrist band ("Hattie's heroes"), the charity, I think everyone around the town wears wristbands, do fun runs and everyone trying to make as much money for these charities as possible. Regardless of what happens to Hattie, it's important for us to learn as much as we can about these diseases so moving forward, kids and adults - when they do get diagnosed with a problem - the doctors have more knowledge to deal with it and that's something that is very close to my heart."