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Poulter to Have Time on His Hands

By: Golfshake Editor | Sun 23 Apr 2017


Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements


Ian Poulter missed the cut at the Valero Texas Open. Sadly, the 41-year-old Englishman may have to get used to having free weekends. He needed to make £24,000 in prize money at San Antonio to secure his playing rights for the rest of season and his failure to do so means that he finds himself in limbo.

He was playing on a medical exemption after missing most of last season because of a foot injury. He struggled to rediscover his best form when he returned to action but briefly looked like he might win the money he needed at last week's RBS Heritage Classic at Harbour Town. A poor last round meant that Poulter finished outside the top-12 finish he required.

He will probably still appear at several tournaments, but now has to depend upon sponsors' invitations. He is eligible to play on the European Tour and can go through qualifying for the forthcoming US Open and Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. He is a colourful character and is popular with American galleries, so the chances are that he will receive plenty of sponsors' invites, but it is a far from ideal situation for a man with expensive tastes whose family are based in America - he will not want to spend too much time flying to European Tour events, but may find that he has little choice.

“This is not to say the clubs are going to go away and you are never going to see me again,” Poulter said. “It means I have got some work to do, I am playing next week in New Orleans and who knows, golf is a funny game I could easily win and then things are a little different.

“But I don’t know if I will be in tournaments or out of tournaments so what it will mean is, and what is the most frustrating thing for the next few months, I can’t plan a schedule. I have to be ready to go on any given Monday to go to an event.

“I will try and qualify for the US Open, I will try and qualify for The Open, I will play some events in Europe, I will try and play some events over here, so I will do what I have to do.”

A first round of three over left him facing an uphill challenge and Friday’s one-under 71 was not enough to keep him in the mix. He managed four birdies on the front nine but also made three bogeys - and that has been the story of his season to date.

Tweeting after his round, Poulter wrote: “The best thing about golf is it gives you what you deserve, Also when the chips are down you find out who your real friends really are!!!!!”

Responding to one message of support from a fan, he added: “I guess the road needs re tarmacking after a good few miles. A career isn’t a career without the odd bump along they way.”

It has been a year to forget for Poulter. He was devastated to have missed out on a chance to play in the Ryder Cup again and recently announced that his clothing line, Ian Poulter Design, was being wound up.


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Tags: ian poulter



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