The Comeback Player Of The Year keeps on coming back.
Ian James Poulter contended in Scotland last week and the Englishman finds himself in the thick of it at the 146th Open Championship.
Poulter has been one of the most consistent players in the field after two days. After opening with 67, he shot a solid 70 in the elements on Friday. He’s made only two bogeys in 36 holes, making him one of the best par performers in the field.
He will play with U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka on Saturday in the next-to-last pairing at Royal Birkdale. It was here nine years ago that Poulter finished second to winner Paddy Harrington.
Poulter has had huge fan support over the first two days and he’s noticed it.
“It feels absolutely marvellous, it really does,” he said. “Walking up 18, just walking from greens to tees was really pretty special today. The galleries were huge and they were really pulling for me. So it was really nice to be in position, keep churning out decent scores and keeping myself on the board.
“The fans are great,” he added. “I’m playing hard for them, as well, because they’re giving me a lot of energy on the course.”
Poulter was a par machine Friday with 16 of them.
“It might look very boring on the scorecard, but wasn’t from the perspective of how I had to kind of piece my way around this golf course. It was tricky. There was a 35-mile-an-hour wind at times and it was a different wind that we had yesterday,” he pointed out.
“The golf course played completely different. Holes that were hybrid, sand wedge yesterday were kind of driver, 4-iron today. So it really was a complete 180.
“I got a nice birdie on 12, but then I made a little mistake on 16. I didn’t commit to the shot I wanted to play; it was a shame. I had about a 12-foot par-putt there, and a good up-and-down on the last.
“So it was a solid day’s work in the office.”
Thanks to injuries and his drastic drop in the rankings the past two years, Poulter has not played in a major since the 2014 Masters.
“I’m in a bonus week,” he said. “I qualified for The Open. I’m loving it. I really am. This is a massive bonus for me to be in this position. I haven’t played a major for a little while. And I can’t wait. I’m excited. I’m pumped up. I feel my game’s coming back to form.
“So, yeah, I mean I’m ready to go out there toe to toe with anyone this weekend.”
