Ian Poulter Is A Funny Guy

by Mulligan Stu on Jan 30, 2008 8:27 AM EST Comment 1 comment

Of course, we already knew that because of the way he dresses.

But in Dubai for the Dubai Desert Classic, Poulter said there's only one player capable of challenging Tiger Woods for golf supremacy. And that player is ... Ian Poulter.

"Don't get me wrong, I really respect every professional golfer, but I know I haven't played to my full potential and when that happens, it will be just me and Tiger."

You know what? I haven't played to my full potential yet either. And when that happens, it'll be just Tiger, Ian and me.

Poulter is also not impressed with Tiger's 8-stroke win at the Buick Invitational last week, played at Torrey Pines, a course where Woods has won five times and a course that is the site of this year's U.S. Open. Which would seem to make Woods the prohibitive favorite at the Open. Not so fast, Ian says:

The Englishman, asked by the magazine to predict the winner of the first major of the season at the U.S. Masters in April, replied: "Put Tiger down for that one."

For the year's second major at the U.S. Open, he said: "You can put me down for that one."

Mad dogs and Englishmen ...

Actually, I like it when guys talk about challenging Tiger. Aim high. But this is a little different from a brash young stud like Jason Day saying he wants to challenge Woods. Poulter has a track record. He's a very good - but not great - player. This is sort of like Jerry Kelly or Stewart Cink saying, "I'm coming for you, El Tigre!"

Still, I like Ian Poulter. He is a funny guy. And he and Tiger need to make a bet: If Poulter does win the U.S. Open, Tiger has to play his next tournament wearing Poulter-esque fashions.

Update: Poulter says the article did not accurately relay his comments, nor what he was trying to say. What he was trying to say, Poulter said today, is that he wants to be No. 2 in the world:

"Can I get to number one in the world ? No, I can't really, not while Tiger is playing golf," he said. "Can I get to number two, yeah.

"Justin (Rose) has moved up so far in the world rankings (to seventh) after last year. If he has the same year he had last year there's a chance of him taking the number two spot.

"If people do play well over a period of two years, you can get to number two (but) you cannot reach Tiger.

"So the quote to say it would be a dream to see Tiger Woods and then me in the rankings as you look down, what's wrong with saying that? Is it being rude? Is it being disrespectful to everybody else? I don't think so."

0 recs | Comment 1 comment

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

additional drug testing ?

Maybe the PGA and Euro Tours need to add Poulter's pants and hair dye to their list of substances to test for later this year. Some dyes in the past were outlawed for being a possible carcinogenic (if a rat was exposed to drinking 8 gallons of the color a day for 6 years it MIGHT get cancer...yada yada yada).