Ian

Poulter

In recent weeks, the DP World Tour put sanctions on LIV Golf defectors with one of those sanctions being the removal from the field at the Genesis Scottish Open. A group of those suspended took that decision to court and will have those limits removed for the time being. Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour, provided a brief statement, “I will simply say we are disappointed by the outcome of today’s hearing, but will abide by the decision. It is important to remember, however, this is only a stay of the sanctions imposed, pending the hearing of the players’ appeal as to whether those sanctions were appropriate.” Given the late decision made here, these three golfers will be added to the field but they won’t replace anyone else already committed. Instead, the field has now expanded to 159 golfers.

Striking the ball adequately at the Valero Texas Open, Poulter attempted to capture an invitation to Augusta at the eleventh hour. With his short-game abandoning him, this marked Poulter’s first missed cut in the United States of 2022. Hoping to bounce back, the 46-year-old returns to Hilton Head Island where he is a perfect 11-for-11 making his way into the weekend. Finishing in a tie for 48th-place in 2021, Poulter enjoyed a four year stretch from 2017-20 where he collected results of: T-11, T-7, T-10, and T-14. at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Boasting a career record in this event of 32-17-0, Poulter’s first match in this year’s edition of the tournament will mark the 50th of his career. Combine this with a 6-0-1 singles record in the Ryder Cup and the Postman should often be considered in this format regardless of the form he arrives in. Experiencing a solid Florida Swing, the Englishman collected a paycheck in each of his appearances in the Sunshine State. With his short game in check, the 2010 winner’s iron play will likely tell the tale of his week. Able to come out of the group of Rory McIlroy, Cameron Smith, and Lanto Griffin last year as the No. 60 overall seed, he has moved up one spot to No. 59 this time around. The task at hand has remained equally as difficult if not more as he is grouped with Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Tommy Fleetwood.

Playing out of the afternoon wave on day one, Poulter split 7-of-14 fairways (T90) and landed 11 GIR (T41). Neither of those traditional stats were anything to write home about but he kept himself out of trouble and also nailed an 11'9" par-saver at the 8th when he needed. The Englishman walked off the course ranked 19th in strokes gained approach and 9th in putting. Playing close to home, Poulter is making his 17th appearance at the API with a 12-for-16 record that includes a solo third in 2012 and T12 in 2011. Poulter shook off the cobwebs last week with a T30 at The Honda Classic.

In nine previous appearances at PGA National, the 46-year-old Englishman has made seven cuts with a best finish of T-3 in 2015. Poulter made five Tour starts in the fall season, missing three cuts and finishing T-8 at the unofficial QBE Shootout and T-18 at The CJ Cup @ Summit. He’s played twice on the DP World Tour so far in 2022, missing the cut at the Dubai Desert Classic and finishing T-6 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. He finished T-53 in the Asian Tour’s Saudi International. Last season, Poulter was 77th on the FedExCup standings with 17 cuts made in 21 starts. His had three tops 10s with his best finish being a T-3 at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Poulter finished 23rd in the DPWT’s Race to Dubai.

The 46-year-old Englishman was last in action in December at the QBE Shootout, where partnered with Charles Howell III and finished T-8. Poulter made five starts in the fall season, finishing T-18 at the CJ Cup @ Summit and missing three cuts. He also played twice in November on the DP World Tour, missing the cut at the BMW PGA Championship and notching a T-6 at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. He finished 23rd the Race to Dubai after making nine cuts in 12 starts with four top 10s, with his best being a T-4 at the Scottish Open. On the PGA Tour last season, Poulter went 17-for-21 with three top 10s including a T-3 at the Charles Schwab Challenge and made his seventh appearance for Europe in the Ryder Cup. His last Tour win came at the 2018 Houston Open, and his last DPWT victory came at the 2012 WGC-HSBC Champions in China.

The 42-year-old Howell’s best finish at the Shootout is a T-2 in 2012 with Rory Sabbatini, when they finished one stroke back winners Sean O’Hair and Kenny Perry. He was T-3 in 2019 with Luke List. This is his first time teaming Poulter. The world No. 202 has made four starts in the new PGA Tour season, improving each week: After missing the cut at the Fortinet, he rebounded with a T-47 at the Shriners, T-33 at the Mayakoba and T-16 at the RSM Classic. Last season, Howell failed to the playoffs for the first time in his career after finishing 139th in the FedExCup standings. He made 14 cuts in 21 starts and finished T-9 at the Players Championship for his only top 10. He finished 130th on the money list, marking the first time in his career that he finished outside the top 80 in earnings. This week marks Poulter’s eighth start in the Shootout, an event he won in 2010.

The 45-year-old Englishman is one of five past Shootout champions are in the field that are playing with different partners. Also in Naples, Fla., this week is two-time winner Sean O’Hair (2012, 2017), Jason Day (2014), Brandt Snedeker (2015) and Brian Harman (2018). Poulter won with Dustin Johnson in 2010. In 2010, Poulter teamed with Dustin Johnson to beat Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell by two strokes. He finished third in 2013 with Westwood and T-3 in 2014 with Billy Horschel. He also was fifth in 2020 with McDowell. Poulter arrives at Tiburon Golf Course off a T-6 in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. He finished 23rd the Race to Dubai after making nine cuts in 12 starts with four top 10s, with his best being a T-4 at the Scottish Open. He’s made four starts in the new PGA Tour season, making just one cut -- at the CJ Cup @ Summit where he was T-18 – and missing the cut in his last two starts the Mayakoba and Houston Open. This week marks Howell’s 11th start in the Shootout, where he finished runner-up in 2012 with Rory Sabbatini and third in 2019 with Luke List.

The 45-year-old Englishman carded back-to-back rounds of 5-under 67 over the weekend at Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth Course, finishing tied with South Africa’s Dean Burmester and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy at 12-under 276 and five shots behind winner and Race to Dubai champ Collin Morikawa. “As I say, never give up and always believe anything is possible,” Poulter wrote Sunday in a post on Twitter. “A few putts today shaved those edges but that’s golf. Thanks for all your support in 2021. I will be fresher and stronger for 2022. We have unfinished business.” It marked his fourth top 10 in the season finale in 12 appearances. He finished 23rd the Race to Dubai after making nine cuts in 12 starts with four top 10s, with his best being a T-4 at the Scottish Open. Poulter has already made four starts on the new PGA Tour season, making just one cut – at the CJ Cup @ Summit where he was T-18.

With just three Tour events remaining in 2021 that reward points (and opportunity in Dubai on the European Tour), the 45-year-old Poulter will make his second start at El Camaleon Golf Club, where he missed the cut in 2017. However, he comes in off a T-18 in his most recent start at the CJ Cup after a MC in his season debut at the Shriners. He also posted a lackluster 1-2-0 performance for Europe as a captain’s pick in the 43rd Ryder Cup, although he did triumph in singles over Tony Finau, 3 and 2, and improved his overall singles record to 6-0-1 in his seventh appearance. Last season, Poulter was 77th on the FedExCup standings, going 17-for-21 and qualifying for the Tour Playoffs for the fifth year in a row and 14th overall. He notched three top 10s including a T-3 at the Charles Schwab and two WGC events (T-9 at Match Play, T-10 at FedEx St. Jude). The 12-time Euro Tour winner (8-for-11) stands 32nd in the Race to Dubai.