POULTER: I SWORE AT MYSELF, NOT MARSHAL

IAN POULTER last night denied claims that he abused a marshal at the Scottish Open during his third round on Saturday. The Ryder Cup star was alleged to have aimed a ‘shower of expletives’ at Quintin Jardine, a Scottish crime author who was volunteering at Gullane, after he refused to venture into a bush to help the player find his ball on the first hole. Jardine, who wrote to the tournament organisers, said: ‘I wasn’t expecting thanks, but I wasn’t expecting aggression either. Industrial language doesn’t bother me but truculent aggression does. I would like him to be reminded that, even though most of the world knows you’re an a******e, there’s no need to go proving it to the rest.’ Poulter (below) insisted: ‘I don’t abuse volunteers. ‘I might have done 15 or 16 years ago, but these guys are here to help us out. ‘He has taken what I said to him the wrong way, which is a shame. It’s disappointing really when I was actually trying to help him out. ‘The fact is that I was frustrated with myself. I always wear my heart on my sleeve. I was angry with myself and might have said a few expletives at myself. ‘But I reiterated to him after I played my shot out of the bush that I wasn’t angry with him.’ The Englishman explained the incident further on Twitter, saying: ‘I asked if he found my ball and his response was, “It’s in there somewhere — I didn’t want to step on it”. I replied, “If you stand on it I can replace it without penalty but if I stand on it I will get penalised”. I said a couple of choice words to myself. I do not abuse marshals.’ The Scottish title was won by Brandon Stone, who finished on 20 under par after breaking the Gullane course record with a final round of 60. Stone, 25, would have become the first to shoot a 59 for a round on a European Tour event if he’d holed a birdie putt on the 18th. Englishman Eddie Pepperell finished second on 16 under. Poulter was 30th, seven shots further back.