You are viewing: February 2010
Poulter Wins Match Play Championship Wearing FJ ICON and SciFlex; Enter to Win
22/02/2010
Ian Poulter (FJ ICON MyJoys; SciFlex glove) captured the biggest victory of his career on Sunday by leading the final 28 holes of the championship match to win the all-England final, 4 and 2, at the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship.
Along with winning his first World Golf Championship, the 34-year-old Poulter won for the first time on American soil. It was his ninth European Tour title and moved him to a career-best No. 5 in the world rankings.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Poulter said, after closing out the match with a par on the 34th hole. “I knew I was in great form. I felt comfortable all day on the golf course.”
A veteran of two Ryder Cup teams (2004, 2008), Poulter is gaining a strong reputation for his prowess in match play, especially after this week. He improved his overall record in the Match Play Championship to 18-7, and was so dominant over the weekend that he trailed for only one hole over the final 50 holes of the tournament. That came early Sunday morning, when his opponent put his approach shot to 7 feet on the second hole for an eagle that was conceded. Poulter answered immediately with a tee shot into 8 feet on the third, then took the lead for good at No. 7.
In fact, five times after his opponent won a hole, Poulter won the next one. Late in the match as he was clinging to a 2-up lead, Poulter flew the green on the par-3 12th, leaving him a tough chip up the slope. He came within inches of holing it, keeping his cushion, until he effectively put the match away at the 15th with another tough pitch, with mud on his ball, up a steep slope to the green.
“I would say my short game, certainly this week, has been as good as it’s ever been,” Poulter said. “The last 12 months, it’s been up there with the best of them.”
The timing couldn’t have been better. A short time later, Poulter was beaming as he posed with the “Walter Hagen Cup,” the name of this WGC trophy. Hagen, along with his 11 majors, was known for his eye-catching attire.
