When the Englishman made it to the quarterfinals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in March, he fell one spot short from being invited to Augusta which is only open to the world’s top 50 players. After a disappointing first round of 73 strokes in the Houston Open, the last chance to qualify in this final event seemed like a distant reality, so distant that Poulter packed his bags ready to fly home on Friday evening, 30 March. However, a rapid mental shift and a small putting correction lead to an explosive comeback with rounds of 64, 65 and 67, to force a playoff against American Beau Hossler with a dramatic birdie on the 72nd hole. Poulter prevailed on the extra hole and secured his ticket to Augusta which was held from 5 to 8 April. He ended the tournament at rank 44 tied with Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand), Brian Harman (USA) and Tyrrell Hatton (England).
Considering that less than a year ago Poulter was ranked 195th in the world and thought that he had lost his PGA Tour card, his performance last weekend was not the only remarkable comeback story. After a long foot injury in 2016 and – wrongly – believing that he had lost his playing right in the US, the 42-year old former world number five started a series of strong finishes, which lead him back to the world’s top 30.
Once more, Ian Poulter embodied the brand’s philosophy “To break the rules, you must first master them” while giving an impressive demonstration of his fighting spirit.
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