Poulter feels reborn

IT WAS here at the Players Championship in 2017 that Ian Poulter went from looking washed-up to resurrecting his career with a runner-up display filled with resolve. In the build-up two years ago, he had been fretting over his PGA Tour card. Now he is guaranteed a spot in all the big events and looking forward to playing Augusta next week to prep for the Masters. He is still feeling the benefits, following an impressive start to the season with two top-three finishes and four in the top six. ‘Looking back, my lasting memory is the overwhelming feeling of relief that followed tapping in at the 18th,’ the 43-year-old said. ‘There had been so much stuff going on for months, but that week I finally had my head clear.’ Moving this event from May to March does run the risk of it being seen as a Masters build-up. But with the world’s top 50 here and the biggest first prize in golf — £1.92million — it is clearly a lot more prestigious than that.