Much to admire about Poulter’s fighting spirit

Ian Poulter has always been one of those ‘Marmite’ characters in sport.

I’m sure there were as many people who quite enjoyed seeing him struggle to keep his PGA Tour card as there were who were really pleased when he kept it.

He’s always done his own thing – from the pink trousers and the dyed hair to his football-style celebrations and bold comments.

I have to admit he’s one of my favourite golfers.

There’s so much to admire. He wasn’t one of those ridiculously talented five-year-olds who everybody has heard of before they turn pro. He was a club pro who has squeezed every last drop out of his game.

He has guts and determination and isn’t afraid to show it. That’s why he was so perfect for the Ryder Cup.

I watched him at the Scottish Open last week and you could see his game was coming back.

Now he’s taken it on to another level and is in the hunt at the Open after the first round.

I always think you discover a lot about a sports person when they face a career crossroads.

Whether you like the showman stuff or not, you have to admire the way Poulter has come out fighting.

And, with so many first-time major winners recently, you can bet he’ll be believing he’ll be the next one on Sunday night.

Scots can get back on track

I watched the Scotland v England women’s football the other night. The fact it was on prime time terrestrial television will give the sport huge exposure.

The 6-0 defeat wasn’t the sort of exposure the Scots would have hoped for, but you could see pretty early what a huge task they were up against.

England are one of the favourites to win the European Championships and are a class team.

You get these results in sport sometimes, but the Scottish girls showed lots of heart and never gave up.

There were chances but they didn’t take them.

This is their first ever major championship and, as long as they learn lessons quickly, they can get back on track.

You just need to look back to the men’s Euros when Wales lost to England in the group stages but ended up going further in the competition.

Local heroes at Youth Games

It’s great to see some local names among the medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas.

I was an ambassador for the Winter Youth Olympics back in 2012, and it was really fulfilling to be able to pass on some words of wisdom.

What a fantastic opportunity this is for young athletes to get a feel for the big stage. The transition from youth sport to adult sport is a big jump, and events like this help that transition.

Money can’t buy this sort of experience.

It won’t necessarily be the ones who win the medals who go on to have the most successful careers, though.

Getting into good habits, learning and not thinking that you know it all is just as important when you’re making your way in the sport.

You have to admire the way Poulter has come out fighting

Fighting back: Ian Poulter has guts and determination and isn’t afraid to show it.

Breaking the Ice Eve Muirhead