Poulter has to make the most of his lucky break
ONLY time will tell whether Ian Poulter can make the most of the remarkable stroke of good fortune he received last week but there’s no question it amounts to a glorious second chance.
From limited status on the PGA Tour and an uncertain future, the 41-year- old was given a mulligan with the return of his full-time playing privileges, thanks to the diligence of fellow pro, Brian Gay.
Like Poulter, the American was competing on a medical extension and, like the Englishman, had fallen short of requirements. But, looking into how the points were assessed under a new system, Gay highlighted inequities to contend that both players had been unfairly penalised. On further review the Tour policy board agreed with him, giving both exempt status for the rest of the season.
‘Holy s***! I just got Ian Poulter his Tour card,’ said Gay, smiling.
Poulter was full of appreciation for Gay’s efforts on social media, which was hardly surprising given the reprieve could literally be worth millions.
Instead of spending next week at home, for example, Poulter is now free to compete at the PGA Tour’s flagship event, the Players Championship, with its gargantuan £8.5million prize fund. A top-five finish there on a Sawgrass course that ought to fit his eye would be worth seven figures alone.
It’s easier said than done, of course, for it’s not just because he sat out four months of last season with a nasty arthritic toe injury that Poulter is now ranked 199th in the world. When was the last time we saw anything more than a glimpse of the old vim and vigour?
Yet we’ve witnessed it before where instances of serendipity have changed careers. It happened to Poulter’s fellow Englishman Graeme Storm, who thought he’d lost his card to play in Europe by one place at the end of last year, but was handed it back after Patrick Reed defaulted, and then he beat Rory McIlroy at the start of the season in a play- off for the South African Open title.
At the very least Poulter shouldn’t have too much trouble holding on to his tour card. He’s 129th on the FedEx Cup list and the top 125 are exempt for next season. But the hope must be this gives him a second wind, rather than merely the energy to take on the back markers.
‘It’s great news,’ said Poulter. ‘Obviously, I’ve got work to do to maintain my status for next year but I’m in a very different situation today than where I was yesterday.’
In short, what an opportunity to show what’s left in the tank.