AT five-and-a-half-months pregnant, most working mums-to-be would be looking forward to their maternity leave.

But not Hampshire golfer Liz Young.

The 33-year-old will be teeing off in the Ricoh Women’s British Open, the most prestigious tournament for females held in this country.

She qualified by finishing 18th in the Tipsport Golf Masters in the Czech Republic – while five-and-a-half months pregnant.

The pro golfer said that despite being more than half-way through her pregnancy, it has not affected her game.

Mrs Young, from Hordle, said: “The first three months of the tour in Australia, New Zealand and China I had some morning sickness and dizziness on the putting and my score showed that.

“That stopped and now the only thing is I get a bit tired and have a bit of a sore back.

“My expectations are not as high as they were beforehand but my friends say my pregnancy is doing my golf good as I have already had two top 10 finishes this year.”

Mrs Young, who plays out of Brokenhurst Manor Golf Club in Brockenhurst, began her career as a professional golfer eight years ago, but has been playing the game since the age 12.

She hopes her unborn daughter will take to the sport as well.

She said: “She is learning the swing early. My husband plays scratch golf as well so she is coming into a golfing family.

“I think it has been good to keep active as long as you don’t do any harm to the baby. I am just taking it one shot at a time and if I am not feeling right I will withdraw.

“There are a couple of girls on the tour who are mums but no one else is pregnant, some girls have to stop at three months because their bodies don’t adjust to it.

“And I don’t know if anyone has played in the British Open pregnant before.”

The last player thought to have competed in a major golf tournament while carrying a child is Catriona Matthew, who won the HSBC LPGA Brazil Cup in 2009 while five-and-a-half-months pregnant.

Eleven weeks after giving birth, she then returned to professional golf to win the Ricoh Women’s British Open in the same year.

Mrs Young will compete in the 2016 Ricoh Women’s British Open at the Woburn Golf Club near Milton Keynes which starts on Thursday, July 28.