Kent's Benn Barham prepares to resume his playing career on Thursday at the Barclays Kenya Open at the Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi.

It will be his first competitive appearance since the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on October 9, after which a scan revealed a cancerous tumour on his right kidney.

With his career and even his life in jeopardy, Barham has been forced to endure some dark days.

But the 35-year-old (pictured) can now see the light again after undergoing the life-saving surgery at the end of October, and enduring a slow and at times extremely painful rehabilitation.

The Ashford golfer said: Barham said: “The past six months have been very tough – I’ve gone through a real roller-coaster of emotions, from unbelievable lows to real highs and everything in between.

"Now that I’m hopefully through the worst of it, I’m looking forward to getting back out on the golf course and competing again. Golf has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember, so I’ve really missed it over the past six months.”

Barham admitted he would be a bit nervous on the first tee in Kenya because it was almost like starting out again, but said: "I know the course well and it’s a tournament I’ve enjoyed playing in the past, so it’s a great week to be making my comeback.

"Obviously I’ll have to manage my expectations, but I’m determined to enjoy it because I feel like I’ve been given a second chance, at life and also at my career.”

When he returns from Nairobi, Barham will face a trip to see his specialist for the first in series of scans which will now form part of his regular routine.

He said: “I’ve got my six month scan when I get back from Kenya, so obviously I’m going to be a bit nervous about that but I’m trying to not let it play on my mind too much, because you need a clear head when you’re competing at tournaments.

"I’m taking lots of supplements but I’m not on any medication, so my life hasn’t actually changed all that much.

“It might sound strange but I actually feel very lucky in many ways, because if I hadn’t gone in for a scan on an unrelated matter they might not have discovered the tumour until it was too late.

"So although the past six months have been by far the most difficult of my life, I actually got off pretty lightly.”