POULTER FOCUSED ON CARNOUSTIE CHARGE
RYDER CUP LOOMS LARGE ON THE HORIXON, BUT REVITALISED IAN’S THINKING ONLY OF THE OPEN
Ian Poulter has a huge couple of months ahead of him, with the Ryder Cup looming.
But he insists he has to stay in the present – and that means the 147th Open Championship at Carnoustie has his full focus.
Injury forced the Englishman to miss Europe’s Ryder Cup defeat to the United States at Hazeltine two years ago and, despite a n impressive resurgence in form to move back inside the world’s top 30, he still remains just outside automatic qualification.
The 42-year-old would appear to be a shoo-in as a wildcard for September’s biennial contest at Le Golf National near Paris, but Poulter would like to take uncertainty out of the equation and a good performance at Carnoustie could do that.
“The run of golf I’ve got I’ve got an opportunity to make it in the eight and if I don’t I’ve got an opportunity to potentially get picked,” he said.
“It’s been trending back in the right direction from being 208 in the world to be back inside the top 30 is progress, but there is more progress to make.
“But it’s the Open Championship – I can’t think about anything else right now.
“You take each day as it comes, play golf, not thinking about it. I have to continue to do good things, hit the right shots and not make mistakes on the course.”
An Englishman has not won the Open since Nick Faldo at Muirfield in 1992 and although he has come close – finishing second and third in 2007 and 2013 respectively – Poulter does not feel there is any increased pressure on himself.
“It’s great to play an Open. I don’t feel any extra pressure playing in it,” he said.
“There is always pressure. I’ve tried never to think about it in that way, I’ve just tried to play golf.
“I’ve been in position: I’ve finished second, I’ve finished third, I’ve had good finishes and bad weeks so I’ve had a mixed bag in this event.
“But it is the best of the majors because when it is your home major it is fun.
“I feel very good, my prep has been good. It’s a very interesting set-up with as firm fairways as we have.
“Into the wind distance control will be interesting, downwind it will be even more interesting.
“We hear the longer hitters in the game – Dustin (Johnson), Rory (McIlroy) in particular – are going to ‘muscle’ it and see what that’s going to give them.
“My gameplan isn’t the same because I don’t have that firepower.
“I don’t think there is a right or wrong way so it is actually quite cool in a way that we have this opportunity this week.”