Latest news with #IanPoulter
BBC News
14-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Two-time champion Harrington to hit opening tee shot
Two-time Open champion Padraig Harrington will hit the opening tee shot at this year's tournament at Royal Portrush. The 53-year-old Irishman, who clinched back-to-back Claret Jugs in 2007 and 2008, will open play at 06:30 BST on Thursday. Harrington won his first Open title at Carnoustie in 2007, beating Sergio Garcia in a dramatic play-off after starting the final round six shots back. He successfully defended in horrendous conditions at Royal Birkdale 12 months later, carding an impressive closing 69 to finish four shots clear of England's Ian who also held off Garcia to win the 2008 US PGA Championship, missed the cut at the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush.
BreakingNews.ie
02-07-2025
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Lee Westwood books Open return but Ian Poulter and son Luke miss out
Lee Westwood made light of jet lag to book his return to The Open following a two-year absence after winning his qualifier in Scotland. However, his former Ryder Cup and current LIV Golf team-mate Ian Poulter and his son Luke – and Portrush-born ex-US Open champion Graeme McDowell – all came up short in their bids to make the final major of the year. Advertisement Westwood, 52, who has played in golf's oldest championship 27 times previously, finished top at Dundonald Links after posting seven under for 36 holes. Lee Westwood booked his return to The Open by winning the qualifier at Dundonald Links. Photo: Joe Giddens/PA. Westwood had flown in from Dallas where he had been competing in Sunday's LIV Golf event. 'I've been up since half-past one this morning with jet lag so I was starting to feel it,' said Westwood, whose move to the Saudi Arabia breakaway series removed his chances of qualifying for majors through regular tour events. 'I haven't tried to qualify for the last couple of years for one reason or another. Advertisement 'Royal Portrush is a fantastic golf course and I played well there last time, finished fourth in 2019, so that was another reason to come and play. Ian Poulter and son Luke both failed to qualify for The Open. Photo: George Tewkesbury/PA. 'The Open Championship is the greatest tournament on the golfing calendar. I'm not getting any younger, I'm 52 now.' Poulter at least finished the day with some pride intact as, having trailed Luke all day in the scoring, finished level with his 21-year-old son on one under. Luke followed an opening 67 with a 76 at Royal Cinque Ports in Kent, with his dad shooting 72-71, as they and McDowell finished just short. 'I played good on the first 18, the last 18 not great,' said Luke. Advertisement LIV golfer Dean Burmester topped the leaderboard at Royal Cinque Ports after a brilliant eight-under second-round 64 lifted him to 10 under. That was three better than Nathan Kimsey – whose professional golfer girlfriend Lauren Taylor won the 2011 Women's Amateur at Portrush – and Curtis Knipes, who qualified for the 2019 Open. Derbyshire amateur Sebastian Cave and Dane John Axelsen completed the five qualifiers. A brilliant second round saw Dean Burmester top qualifying at Royal Cinque Ports. Photo: Richard Sellers/PA. At Dundonald, amateur Connor Graham won a play-off to join fellow Scot Daniel Young, Spain's Angel Hidalgo, Swede Jesper Sandborg and Westwood in qualifying. Advertisement Another LIV golfer, Lucas Herbert, finished top at West Lancashire, near Liverpool, with an eight-under total after rounds of 69 and 67. That was one better than China's Sampson Zheng, with England's George Bloor third and amateur Richard Teder – who holed out from the fairway for eagle at the third extra hole to become the first Estonian to play at The Open – and Finland's Oliver Lindell coming through a four-man play-off. England's Jacob McGoldrick endured a roller-coaster end to his qualifying as a hole-in-one at the 15th put him in line to progress, only to card two late bogeys to miss the play-off by one. At Burnham & Berrow in Somerset, Cornwall-born PGA Tour winner Harry Hall qualified alongside winner Justin Walters, who finished nine under, Dane Jakob Skov Olesen, amateur Frazer Jones and fellow Englishman OJ Farrell. Advertisement
New York Times
02-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Watching Ian and Luke Poulter turn rivals for a day – with a place at The Open on the line
Living up to your father's name is one thing — competing against him to do it is another. That was the challenge faced by amateur golfer Luke Poulter, the 21-year-old son of 2008 Open runner-up and five-time Ryder Cup winner Ian Poulter, as both looked to secure one of the five Open qualifying spots on offer at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club. The 36-hole single-day event in Kent, south-east England, was one of four last-gasp qualifying events taking place around the United Kingdom on Tuesday. Advertisement Sadly for the Poulter dynasty, both fell short of booking a place at the main event which begins in Portrush, Northern Ireland on July 17. Like father, like son, they carded identical one-under-par scores — three shots behind Norway's John Axelsen, who claimed the fifth and final qualifying spot. But the pair drew positives amid the disappointment, and Ian could not disguise his pride. 'Luke's turned into a really good golfer,' said the former world number five, adding that if he 'keeps doing what he's doing' a major berth will be his before too long. Luke, for his part, started strongly and was third on the leaderboard after the first 18. Although he teed off just 20 minutes before his dad, the two began on opposite sides of the narrow links course. The logistics of squeezing a 72-man field through two full rounds in a single day meant players started on split tees, so Luke began on the 1st, Ian on the 10th. Despite the distance, Luke said he 'knew where he [Ian] was on the course because there'd be a bunch of fans watching.' Taking place on a Tuesday morning and featuring a field of largely unheralded golfers, it was no surprise that the small throng of fans who turned out gravitated toward the more established names. This was not a glitz and glamour occasion. The Royal Cinque Ports experience was pared-back to say the least but entry was free, a positive move for a sport sometimes criticised as elitist and inaccessible. The mammoth task facing the field was aided by forgiving conditions on the hottest day of the year so far in the UK — at least initially. The typically blustery course, located along the stony shore of Sandwich Bay, was calm during the first round, which began at 6:45am. Ian rued his failure to emulate his son by capitalising on that. 'You can't drop six shots on your opening nine holes with no real wind,' he said. Advertisement But, as it often does in this part of the world, the wind turned during the afternoon, with the players contending against 26mph gusts during their second rounds. Luke is a relative newcomer to links golf, having spent most of his fledgling career in the US, where links courses are a rarity. He struggled to adjust to the shifting conditions, as his day 'went upside down'. It was intriguing to compare father and son as they went about their business. Ian is renowned for his loud personality and even louder dress sense, although he was sporting more neutral attire here — a bright blue T-shirt paired with light grey shorts. Luke, by contrast, exudes a calmer demeanour and appearance. But there were subtle reminders of their shared genetics as the day progressed. One shot on the 16th saw Luke throw his arms down in frustration, while a later wayward effort landed in the bunker, drawing a short expletive from the University of Florida student. Four bogeys in five holes saw him rapidly slip out of contention during his turbulent second round. He wasn't the only youngster left frustrated by the shifting winds. Spain's David Puig, the 23-year-old LIV golfer, equalled the 18-hole course record with an opening-round 64 — later matched by overall winner Dean Burmester — but faded to ninth as conditions hardened. Luke's second-half slide was the mirror image of a late recovery from Ian. It marked a second narrow disappointment for the young Poulter in as many months — he fell agonisingly short of a US Open berth in June, losing to Austen Truslow in a playoff at a qualifying event in Florida. Rather than dampen his spirits, those setbacks have only strengthened his belief that he's edging closer. 'Yeah it will happen soon, I just need to keep knocking on the door,' he told reporters afterwards. Advertisement While Luke aims to kick-start his fledgling career, Ian, who turns 50 in January, is realistic that his golden days are behind him. He said he had 'come up to have some fun' and that his son's steady progress matters more to him these days. He previously told UK radio station Talksport that he would have caddied for Luke had he qualified for the US Open. That promise still stands. 'I will 100 per cent be there on the first tee if he qualifies for a major,' he said.
CNA
02-07-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Westwood, Herbert book British Open spots
Former world number one Lee Westwood will tee off at his first British Open in three years after topping his qualifying event at Dundonald Links in Scotland on Tuesday. The 52-year-old LIV golfer finished seven-under in the two-round event, one of four qualifiers held at different venues for the July 17-20 Open at Royal Portrush. "I've been up since half-past one this morning with jet lag so I was starting to feel it," said Westwood, who flew in from Dallas after playing a LIV event there on Sunday. Lucas Herbert was another LIV player to book his ticket, topping his event in West Lancashire to join a strong contingent of Australians at the major, including former winner Cameron Smith. "I've made it hard on myself just missing out on qualifying before now, but I've finally got there," he told Australian media. "I had chances in Australia, Macau and New Zealand and I couldn't finish it off, so it's definitely tested my patience. I'm glad it's held out in the end." Richard Teder celebrated becoming the first Estonian to secure a place at the Open in dramatic fashion. He blew an initial chance to qualify with a double-bogey on the last hole but grabbed one of the last two spots in a four-man playoff by holing out for an eagle from the fairway. Ryder Cup icon Ian Poulter and his son Luke both missed out after teeing up at Royal Cinque Ports on England's Kent coast.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ian Poulter predicts golden future for son Luke despite both missing out on Open place
Ian Poulter described himself as 'immensely proud' of his son Luke despite the pair narrowly missing out on making history in Open qualifying here at Royal Cinque Ports on Tuesday. The English duo went into this 36-shoot-out on the mission to become the first father-and-son duo to play in the British major since the formative days when the likes of legendary champions Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris highlighted golf's unique quality as the sport that can transcend the generations. Advertisement Yet despite Luke producing a fine morning five-under 67 that put the amateur in the frame to earn one of the five royal Portrush spots on offer in this 72-man field, the 21-year-old struggled in the windy conditions of the afternoon, firing a 76 that took him back to one under and four shots off the required number. It meant that the Stadlers, Crag and Kevin, remain the last dad and heir to tee it up at the same major – in the 2014 Masters. In the event, Poulter snr, 49, finished on the same score, but as he acknowledged afterwards, his day was essentially wrecked when he played his first nine holes in four over. 'It was flat calm but I just wasn't with it,' he told Telegraph Sport. 'Yeah, I had to travel over from Dallas after playing the LIV tournament there on Sunday and I didn't get here until last night and there was a bit of jet-lag – but that's no excuse. Lee [Westwood] did the same and he qualified today. 'Of course, I was thinking about Luke out there and heard that he had started well. As any parent would tell you, if it had come down to it, I would have far preferred to have seen him qualify than me. But this is great experience for Luke – he has barely played on links courses before – and after the US Open qualifier he is knocking on the door.' Advertisement Last month, Luke, a student at the University of Florida, came within a shot of qualifying for Oakmont. 'I would have caddied for him there and would have been crying my eyes out on the first tee,' he said. 'If you think about where he was last year, with a fracture in his back and the months he had to spend recovering, it has been incredible how far he has come. He made me laugh just then. I saw him and said 'unlucky, mate' and Luke replied 'well, that's what you get for playing rubbish'. 'I mean, he's missed out by a few shots in a field containing me and Graeme [McDowell, the former US Open champion] and loads of European Tour winners. And none of them qualified either. I like that attitude. It shows he has high standards and drive. He will only improve.' Poulter Jnr will make his debut for the England seniors in the European Championships next week and is deep in the conversation to make the Walker Cup team against the United States in California in September. Another Poulter taking on the Americans in team matchplay is a truly delicious prospect. Advertisement As the pair departed this stunning layout, Poulter Snr was soon on the phone congratulating a LIV team-mate. With a seven-under total, Westwood, 52, topped the leaderboard at Dundonald, the Fife links, and will play in his first major in three years. It will be the former world No 1's 28th appearance at the tournament where he finished second in 2010 and where he made his debut 30 years ago. 'I've always said it's the greatest championship in golf and I'm just looking forward to seeing a few old friends and enjoying that fantastic course,' he said. 'I loved Portrush last time [in 2019] – I finished fourth. I won't be going in with any expectations but it is links golf and we've seen in the last few decades, veterans like Tom Watson and Greg Norman up there. So who knows? I've been up since 1.30am with jet-lag, but I've come through, There's still a bit of life left in me.' Richard Teder will become Estonia's first representative at the Open after making up for a seemingly dream-crushing mistake by sensationally holing out from the fairway in an extra-hole shoot-out at West Lancs. Advertisement The young amateur seemed almost assured of securing his place at the British major when he went down the last with a two-shot cushion. Yet he double-bogeyed to send himself into a four-man play-off chasing two spots. Teder looked crushed and distraught. No matter. He shook himself down and on the second extra hole - and by then there was just one place up for grabs - he hit his drive 340 yards and then span his lob wedge into the hole from 80 yards. The wild celebration soon went viral. 'This is incredible – I thought I'd blown it,' Teder said. 'There are fewer than 10 courses in my country. So this is huge.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
