A Rebel at Heart: Ian Poulter
Ian Poulter, a member of the world’s top two professional golf tours; the U.S. PGA Tour and European Tour, and a 34-year-old English professional golfer, discovered his passion for golf at the age of 4. Since he turned professional,
Poulter has made a significant mark on the golfing world amid controversies and a radical dressing sense.
Owner of his own clothing line IJP (Ian Poulter Design) and inspired by his mother who was part of UK women’s fashion chain Dorothy Perkins, Poulter has been noted for his printed and boldly coloured attire on the golf course.
His much talked about apparel includes trousers printed with the famous Claret Jug, which he wore at the 2005 and 2006 Open Championships. His boldest attempt so far has been trousers printed with the flag of England with the flamboyant red and blue colours
standing out starkly against the green. His electric orange shirt with matching brown trousers did not escape notice at a recent game either. However, Poulter remained indifferent to the attention. A diehard fan of the London Based Football Club Arsenal FC,
Poulter once wore their jersey at a tournament after which a ruling was passed that prevented golfers from doing it in the future.
Several controversies have also surrounded Poulter’s golfing career. His display of rage at the Mercedes Benz Championship in 2007, where he smashed a tee marker, earned him a fine. Furthermore, in the year 2008, at an interview
with a notable golf newspaper, he openly declared himself as Tiger Woods only rival once he reaches his full potential. In 2010, Poulter tweeted videos of himself and his children eating cereal out of the Ryder Cup Trophy at his home, which ignited another
controversy.
Despite these controversies, Poulter has 12 Professional Wins under his belt; the first one being the Italian Open in 2000 and the most recent one being the UBS Hong Kong Open in November this year. The Hong Kong Open is a golf
tournament, which was founded in 1959 and has been a part of the European Tour’s schedule since 2001. The tournament is held at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Sheung Shui, New Territories. With his one stroke victory at the Hong Kong Open, this makes it Poulter’s
second professional win in the year 2010, the first being the WGC-Accenture Match Playing Championship in February this year. Sponsored by Accenture, a consulting firm, this golf tournament is one of the annual World Golf Championships for male professional
golfers.
In the penultimate tournament of the Race to Dubai, the Dubai World Championship, Poulter was leading the tournament going into the last day. However, Robert Karlsson managed to shorten the lead and tied with Poulter, leading to
a playoff between the two. After both birdied the first extra hole, Poulter fumbled in the second to leave Karlsson as the eventual winner.
The second place, however, propelled Poulter back in to the top ten of the World Golf Rankings where now he stands at No. 8. Humbled since his claim to challenge Tiger Woods two years earlier, Poulter does not want to lose out
to overconfidence. He still believes in climbing to the top of the golfing world by playing well and relying on his strengths at the course. Since his declaration to rise to the top two years earlier, a lot has changed in the golfing world with Lee Westwood,
the star of Nottinghamshire, replacing Tiger Woods as number one in the golfing world. Poulter still remains optimistic of his game and believes in his potential as a competent golfer.
Poulter wishes to close the chapter of his past controversies; however. he still believes in speaking out his mind. Playing it straight and passionate about achieving his goals, Ian Poulter just might be steadily rising to the
top echelons of the golfing world and may acquire the no. 1 position in the World Golf Rankings in the coming years.
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