Careless Poulter is furious after squandering big lead
IAN POULTER was furious at an “inexcusable’ error as he squandered a six-shot halfway lead in the Turkish Airlines Open and inadvertently kept the battle to be crowned European number one alive. Seeking his first win for two years, Poulter completed a second round of 66 when the weather-affected event resumed on Saturday morning, taking his total for his last six rounds at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal to 33 under par.
However, the 38-year-old then struggled to a third round of 75 to end the day one shot behind Australian Wade Ormsby, who shot a 68 to finish 12 under par as he seeks his first European Tour title on his 200th appearance.
Lee Westwood carded a 67 to finish alongside Ryder Cup team-mate Poulter and Germany’s Marcel Siem on 11 under, Siem’s 66 reviving his bid to prevent Rory McIlroy winning the Race to Dubai for the second time in three years.
Shane Lowry is four off the lead after shooting a 72 with Darren Clarke a further 10 behind. Siem has to win in Turkey and at the seasonending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai to have any chance of overtaking world number one McIlroy at the top of the money list.
‘It’s brought obviously a lot of players back into the fray,’ Poulter admitted. ‘Their dinner is going to taste lovely tonight and mine is going to taste horrible.’
A three-putt bogey at the first was cancelled out by a birdie on the fourth, but Poulter then bogeyed the fifth and 11th before running up a double bogey on the 15th after his approach clattered into a tree short of the green.
‘I’m most angry about the wedge shot which led to a double,’ the world number 40 added. ‘That’s inexcusable for me to make that error right there. A simple wedge shot puts me to 20 feet with an outside birdie look at worst, and I hit the tree, so I’m going to be angry. Im going to get my head down and do the job tomorrow. Today was really disappointing to be out of rhythm after playing such great golf.’
Ormsby’s best finish this season is a tie for fifth in Morocco and the 34year-old from Adelaide admitted: “It feels great to be in this position. It’s a great tournament, great field. So to be up around the front is great and be leading it makes me pretty happy.
‘My game is good. I’m hitting it strong, putting good. But I just walked off the ninth green and said to my caddie Richard that I’ve actually missed a few putts down the front nine. As good a score as I’ve shot, I still feel like I left a few out.’