Golf on the highest level is a tough racquet. Form is fleeting and players come and go on the PGA Tour yearly. However, when someone with the name recognition and past success that Ian Poulter has loses his status, it becomes especially jarring.
Poulter lost his PGA Tour card this weekend after failing to earn enough money or FedEx Cup points playing on a major medical exemption. Yahoo!’s Ryan Ballengee broke down the entire situation.
Ian Poulter formally lost his fully-exempt PGA Tour status on Friday when he missed the cut at the Valero Texas Open, leaving him short of fulfilling the requirements of a major medical extension on which his card hinged.
The 41-year-old took time off last year from the Tour to rest an injured foot, and, upon his return, was given 10 starts by the PGA Tour to earn enough money to make up the gap between his 2015-16 earnings and what the player who finished 125th on last season’s money list made. Going into the week in San Antonio, Poulter needed $30,624. By missing the cut, he made nothing.
“It’s not like I’m going to go away and you’re never going to see me again,” Poulter said after missing the cut.
And he’s right. As a former two-time PGA Tour winner, he can lean on his past champion status to get into some tournaments, as well as use sponsor exemptions to get some additional starts.
“I’m playing next week with Geoff Ogilvy in New Orleans [at the Zurich Classic],” he said. “You know, golf’s a funny game. You never know what’s going to happen. Obviously I need to go away and I’ve got some work to do.”
The difficulty, Poulter says, is that he was at the mercy of his peers to get into events, making it impossible to pick a schedule where he could cherry-pick his favorite tournaments.
Poulter responded to the missed cut by taking to Twitter to share some of his thoughts.
Disappointing finish this week. @valerotxopen is a great week. Playing next week with Geoff Ogilvy in New Orleans.
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) April 21, 2017
The best thing about golf is it gives you what you deserve, Also when the chips are down you find out who your real friends really are !!!!!
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) April 21, 2017
You don’t get to #5 in the world and help lift a few @RyderCupEurope ?’s and disappear. You come back stronger and more determined than ever
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) April 21, 2017
After reflecting I’m going to call it a day and put the clubs away for good.. enough is enough.. better things to do..
Nah only kidding ?— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) April 21, 2017
— — —
Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest goings-on in the world of golf by following the SwingxSwing Clubhouse on social media. We share stories, stats and breaking news on Twitter, keep the fun going off the course on Instagram and share any and all golf-related topics on Facebook.
