Postman delivers
Poulter wins Houston Open and books US Masters spot
HUMBLE ( Texas): Ian Poulter delivered another big moment, this one for himself.
Down to his last putt, Poulter made a 20-foot birdie on the 18th hole to force a playoff with Beau Hossler, and then he won the Houston Open with a par on the first extra hole to earn the last spot in the US Masters.
One week after Poulter was mistakenly told he had locked up a spot at Augusta National through the world ranking, he left no doubt by winning with a clutch moment reminiscent of his Ryder Cup heroics from Medinah in 2012.
“I had to dig deep today,” said Poulter, who closed with a five-under 67.
Hossler, who also shot 67, overcame a three-shot deficit with four straight birdies on the back nine.
He had a chance to win on the 18th in regulation with a 30-foot birdie putt that trickled over the right edge of the cup.
That set the stage for Poulter, and the 42-year-old from England lived up to his nickname as “the Postman” by delivering his biggest putt in years.
Poulter pounded his chest five times when the putt dropped and all Hossler could do was smile.
“I did think I’d made it,” Hossler said, “but it hung out there.
“Ian basically had the same putt and there’s no way he was going to miss it after watching my ball.
“I gave Ian the perfect read (for him) to make his putt. I knew he was going to make it.”
In the sudden-death playoff on the 18th, one of the more daunting finishing holes off the tee with water down the left side and a bunker to the right, Hossler found the bunker for the second time.
He hit into a greenside bunker, and his third shot caught way too much ball and went over the green and into the water.
Poulter was safely on the green as Hossler took his penalty drop, chipped onto the green and took two putts for a triple bogey.
They finished at 19-under 269. Poulter won for the third time on the US PGA Tour and his first in America since the Match Play in 2010 at Arizona.
This was his first stroke-play victory in America and the timing could not have been better. — AP