THE R&A’s OFFICIAL OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP MAGAZINE
Ian Poulter is one of several English players with realistic hopes of Open victory this year. He’s in the top 10 of the official World Golf Rankings, and has a soft spot for the Old Course. “I qualified for the 2000 Open at St Andrews through a regional qualifier and literally the day that tournament ended I went up there. I absolutely loved it.” It was the rookie 24-year-old’s maiden Open.
Despite his sartorial panache, Poulter is a golfing traditionalist at heart. “St Andrews is the spiritual home of golf. There are great memories of brilliant matches there in times gone by – so many great players have walked across that bridge.” In 2000, and despite a 69 in the second round, like the rest of the field, he eventually had to give way to the genius of Tiger Woods.
It was, however, his breakthrough season on the European Tour. His win in the Italian Open put him on the golfing map, and he was named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year. Five years and a string of victories later, he was back again as a serious Open contender.
“When I played at St Andrews in 2005, I was starting to feel comfortable in the big events. I finished 11th and someone congratulated me on my best finish in a major, but I had steam coming out of my ears. If I’d holed a 5ft par putt on 17 and two-putted 18, I’d have been third. I knew I should have finished higher.”
Poulter’s four rounds of 70, 72, 71 and 69 at least demonstrated consistency although once again Woods was too good.
Since then, Poulter’s record in the Majors has been one of steady improvement. In the 2008 Open at Royal Birkdale he held the clubhouse lead in the final round until Harrington came home to beat him by four shots. In this year’s Augusta Masters, he was tied for the lead with Lee Westwood after two rounds before fading back over the weekend, finishing tied 10th.
Poulter has never been short on self-belief. His assertion that “When I reach my potential, it will be just me and Tiger” caused a degree of mirth in 2008. “What I meant to say was that Tiger was the only one who was out of reach, and I like to think I’ve backed that thought up now.”
He certainly has. His outstanding play in that year’s Ryder Cup, taking four out of a possible five points, second place in the 2009 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, and victories in Singapore and in this year’s Accenture have seen the Hertfordshire player firmly established in the world top 10.
Along with Ernie Els, Henrik Stenson, Retief Goosen, Sergio Garcia, Trevor Immelman and good friend Justin Rose, Poulter is based at Lake Nona, the upscale golf and country club in Orlando, Florida. He’s recently bought another home in the Bahamas, perfect for this family man with three small children. Now a multi-millionaire, it’s been quite a journey for the one-time assistant pro at the Jack O’Legs golf shop near Hitchin.
Despite being a lifelong Arsenal fan, the working-class lad once had a trial for Tottenham Hotspurs. His flare for colourful attire started when he sold clothes from a Stevenage market stall to make a little extra money. He’s a natural salesman: “I could sell ice cream to the Eskimos,” he says. Poulter now has his own line in ‘lifestyle apparel’ called IJP, with the mantra, ‘Look good, feel good, play good.’ For some time, he punched above his weight in terms of publicity. Now, his results have caught up.
So what makes St Andrews so special? “I’m only too happy to be coming back here. I’ve got very fond memories. I just enjoy links golf. It demands a variety of shots – high ones, low ones – plus you have the wind, the weather, hard true greens … I just love links golf in general.” A 65 around the Old Course in the 2006 Dunhill Links Championships suggests the set-up suits his eye.
Never a long driver, Poulter’s tee shots are now going further, his approach play is very tight, and his chipping and putting have gone from good to excellent. Corrective eye surgery in 2009 has also helped him read putts more accurately. During the final 36 holes of the Accenture at Tucson, as he crushed Paul Casey to take the title, he was calmness personified. “When I won the Accenture I did feel calm, I was playing within myself, I was in the zone. But that’s very difficult to replicate.”
His prize was the Walter Hagen Trophy, dedicated to golf’s most famous dandy. “He was a snappy dresser as well,” smiles Poulter. So does he mind being known as an extrovert showman? “I admit, I do wear my heart on my sleeve. You need to have a bit of both. You need to be calm, work your way into the week. But you need to show a bit of passion as well.”
Some golfers give the impression of being content to win big money by finishing high up the leader board week in, week out. Poulter isn’t one of them. “I want to win golf tournaments. I feel my game is good enough to win them.”
Very much his own man, Poulter can be found hitting balls on the practice ground with the help of his caddy but without the sports psychologist, swing coach or manager many players look to for guidance.
So, having had big victories all round the world, what’s different about winning a major? “There’s a lot more intensity. The pressure’s higher, you need to play incredibly well for four straight days,” he says.
And what will Poulter be wearing at St Andrews? “I decided months ago, but you’ll have to wait and see.”
At 34, his emotional maturity, steely competitiveness and golfing ability suggest he’s ready for the ‘big one’. He feels at home at St Andrews, and the course suits his game. No one, least of all Ian James Poulter himself, would be surprised to see him holding the Claret Jug on Sunday afternoon.