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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.
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.
Telegraph
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Ian Poulter's son with huge chance to qualify for Open after outscoring his dad
Luke Poulter has put himself in with a huge shout of qualifying for the Open after he outscored his father, Ian, by five shots in the first round of the 36-hole shoot-out here at Royal Cinque Ports on Tuesday morning. Poulter Jnr, the amateur who missed out by a shot from securing a berth at last month's US Open, fired a five-under 67 at this famous Kent links to stand in a tie for third in the 72-man field, with five set to advance to Royal Portrush in a fortnight's time. Poulter Snr, 49, is not yet out of it, after recovering from early dropped shots to post a level-par 72 and stand just outside the top 20. Spaniard David Puig set the pace on eight under with American Maxwell Moldovan two behind in second. However, the former world No 5 will be just as interested – if not even more so – in the progress of his 21-year-old heir, who in recent months has been carving himself quite the name. After recovering from career-threatening back surgery last year, the student at the University of Florida won his first event on the US College circuit and has recently been picked for the England senior team. He has a different character to Ian – far less flamboyant and with a much calmer temperament – but he obviously has inherited the battling qualities of the Ryder Cup legend. And indeed the confidence. Not only is Poulter Snr in his rear-view mirror here, but another Europe colossus in Graeme McDowell – in a tie for 13th on two under – and other European Tour winners in Matthew Southgate and Tom Lewis are also playing catch-up with Poulter Jnr. Of course, the dream for the Poulter family is for both to earn their way to the Dunluce links and so follow in the Open's grand father-and-son tradition, which first featured Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, as well as Willie Park Snr and Willie Park Jnr in the championship's formative years. The last father-and-son combination to appear at the same major was Craig and Kevin Stadler at the 2014 Masters. Poulter Snr's LIV team-mate Lee Westwood is playing at Dundonald Links as he also seeks a start in the Open for the first time since 2022, and at the halfway stage, the 52-year-old is in a tie for fifth on two under, three behind fellow Briton Jordan Sundborg. However, another member of the Majesticks team on the Saudi-funded circuit walked off the course at West Lancashire mid-round. Sam Horsfield was seven-over after nine holes when he effectively disqualified himself by making a sharp exit at the Liverpool links.
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
A family affair as Poulter and son battle to qualify for Open
Ian Poulter's bid to play his first Open for three years could be thwarted by his son Luke, who is also trying to make it to the will be battling the odds in the same qualifying tournament to try to grab one of just a handful of spots at the main event. Either could knock the other out of contention for an Open are among 72 players competing over two circuits of Royal Cinque Ports in Kent on Tuesday. This family venture to reach Royal Portrush for the 153rd staging of golf's oldest major is one of several enticing storylines from final older Poulter, a Ryder Cup legend, has played in 20 Opens, but none since 2022 when the 49-year-old opted to join the LIV is one of several members of the the breakaway league who will dash from their latest event in Dallas. Another is Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, who is desperate to play another Open in his home town. 288 chasing 20 places in Portrush Poulter's 21-year-old son is a highly promising talent, who is a sophomore at the university of Florida. Luke is ranked 51st in the world amateur standings and came desperately close to qualifying for the recent US Open at dad revealed that he would have caddied for his son, had the youngster been successful in a sudden death play-off against American Austen Truslow at their US Open dad and lad are rivals for the five places up for grabs at Royal Cinque is the same equation at three other final qualifying venues - Burnham and Berrow in Somerset, West Lancashire and Scotland's Dundonald Links - meaning a total of 20 from 288 players will head to Royal Portrush from 17-20 July. The fields are made up of 131 who emerged from the near 2,000 who tried their hand at regional qualifying on 23 June, along with golfers who merit entry due to their standing in the professional are also aware qualifying can prove a springboard for success, as Justin Rose found after emerging from the scramble to make it to Royal Troon last year before finishing joint runner-up behind champion Xander Schauffele. Home Open has been big focus - McDowell It is a cut-throat business laced with sporting begins his 36-hole bid in the company of Tom Lewis, who shot 65, a record low score for an amateur, when he took the first-round lead as a qualifier at Royal St George's in was thrilled to be at Portrush, the town of his birth, in 2019 when The Open was staged there for the first time in 68 years. He grabbed a qualifying spot at the Canadian Open, a route no longer open to him because of his LIV affiliation."With the Open going back to Royal Portrush, it's been a big focus," McDowell revealed. "I'll play Dallas and fly straight to London, and I'll go down to the qualifier."I'm going to Royal Cinque Ports. It's maybe not the best prep in the world, but I'll be pretty fired up."I'm excited. It would certainly be bittersweet to not be there, but I'll definitely be giving it my full attention and be trying hard."He knows this will be a special championship given how Shane Lowry delighted home fans on the island of Ireland with his runaway victory six years McDowell's Northern Irish compatriot, Rory McIlroy, will bring the Masters Green Jacket, a career Grand Slam, and a huge buzz to the Antrim venue."It would be amazing," the 45-year-old Ulsterman added. "With everything that Rory's done this year, with Shane being the defending champion, to go back to Portrush, it's going to be a special week."It goes without saying that I'd love to be a part of it."McDowell tees off with the highly promising Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who contended before finishing 12th at the US Open in June. He has yet to compete at an entered at the Deal course is DP World Tour stalwart Matt Southgate, who was sixth at the 2017 Open and promising amateurs Tyler Weaver and Kris Kim. If successful, Weaver - along with Luke Poulter - will warm up for Portrush by representing England Golf men's squad in the European Amateur Championships from 8-12 July in Kilarney, Wood was a 20-year-old amateur when he finished in a share of fifth at the 2008 Open at Royal Birkdale. A year later only Stewart Cink and Tom Watson finished better than him at Turnberry as he shared third place with Lee Englishman are seeking a ticket to Portrush. Wood plays alongside Eddie Pepperell (T6 in 2018) at Burnham and Berrow while Westwood makes the journey from LIV Dallas to the Ayrshire coast, he will be reunited with former Ryder Cup partner Jamie field there also includes Alex Noren, who was in the final pairing with champion Scottie Scheffler at the US PGA Championship in May, as well as tour winners Marc Warren and Adrian Masters champion Danny Willett tries his luck at West Lancashire along with the likes of Sam Bairstow, Alex Fitzpatrick, Joe Dean and Sam the United States, they call final qualifying for the US Open "the longest day". It is a marketing ploy that could easily be attributed to the four events across the UK this could be decided by sudden death play-off and at each venue dreams will be realised while hearts are being broken. It is golf in its rawest form with a place in the game's most historic tournament at should be quite the conversation over the Poulter family dinner table.
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Ian Poulter to go head-to-head with son in Open qualifying
Britain's Luke Poulter will have a very familiar rival when he attempts to qualify for The Open for the first time next week - his Ryder Cup-winning dad Ian. Poulter Jr, a University of Florida student, will tee it up at Royal Cinque Ports on the English Kent coast at the crack of dawn on Tuesday, a few minutes before his dad. The 21-year-old narrowly missed out in his attempt to qualify for the US Open this month, losing a playoff to Austen Truslow in final qualifying. His father later revealed that he would have caddied for his son at Oakmont had he made it. Poulter senior, 49, finished second at the 2008 Open at Royal Birkdale and was a talisman for the Europe Ryder Cup team, featuring in five winning teams. The final Open qualifying rounds are taking place across four courses with about 20 spots up for grabs for the tournament, which is at Royal Portrush from 17-20 July. Poulter joined the rebel LIV Golf Series in June 2022 and subsequently gave up his membership of the DP World Tour after being sanctioned. He is not in contention to earn the exemption place available at The Open to the top performing LIV player not already qualified for the event, which will be decided after this weekend's event in Dallas.
