Smiting Drives - Poulter looks pretty in pink
03 Nov 2009 - 08:42:05
Ian Poulter has waited a long time for a weekend like that one.
On Saturday night he watched his beloved Arsenal trounce Spurs 3-0, awoke the next day to pick up his first European Tour win in three years at the Singapore Open, and to top it off, Ross Fisher opened a can of 'whoop-ass' on Anthony 'shoulder barge' Kim in the World Match Play final.
The Twitter congratulations poured in immediately. Ken Brown, Paul Casey, Graeme McDowell and Mark Bright were among them - Kim unsurprisingly wasn't. All of a sudden, months of frustration in the Poulter camp turned to boundless optimism.
How fortunes change. Twelve months ago, Poulter withdrew from the same Singapore Open after his Cobra driver was stolen in China. Not the first time in his career, the polarising prince of English golf was all over the papers for the wrong reasons.
Poulter's decision drew a predictably armed response from the media, with most fiercely critical, and some even suggesting he pulled out after being given an unimpressive hotel room for the event - a lazy piece of tabloid hackery if ever I saw one.
But Poulter, as we knew he would, stood by his guns.
"It is disappointing because I did not come all this way not to play," he said. "But with so many world ranking points at stake, if I played badly I may have lost ground."
In the wake of that episode, Poulter went to roost for the winter months in Florida, promising to put in meticulous preparation for a serious run at the majors in 2009. A runners-up finish at The Open, twinned with a stellar showing at the Ryder Cup, had reminded the golfing public that Poulter was more than just a pair of trousers. But he badly wanted a big one, and fast.
Fleetingly, all four came and went, and without a serious Poulter assault to be seen. Most disappointingly, he shot a second-round 79 at The Open and, along with Tiger Woods, missed the cut.
But belief has never been in short supply on Planet Poulter, and it was no surprise to see him bounce back with four strong performances across the pond - among them a top-20 at the US PGA Championship.
Soon enough, the controversy that has followed his career returned. Poulter decided to take a six-week break from golf, and in so doing pulled out of the Britain and Ireland team for the Vivendi Trophy. Europe's 2010 Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie was not best pleased, but as it turns out, Poulter knew best.
Having spent three weeks without so much as hitting a ball, Poulter returned in Singapore at his brilliant best. Naturally, there were highs and lows – and at one point it looked as though he'd thrown it away, but the longer you're outside the winner's circle, the harder it seems to get back in.
Poulter held on. And with a victory to boost that famous confidence, this could be the start of something special for the Woburn golfer. He's up to number 15 in the world and, unsurprisingly, believes the top 10 is his for the taking.
One thing's for sure, when Monty scribbled down his initial thoughts on his Europe team for Celtic Manor, you can bet your life Poulter's name was written in indelible ink.
- Will Tidey
READ SMITING DRIVES EVERY TUESDAY EXCLUSIVELY AT GOLF.CO.UK
Relevant links
- World Rankings
- Poulter triumphs at Singapore Open
- Fisher beats Kim to claim Match Play title
