Ian Poulter fighting for his Tour card

FixdePitchmark

Didn't know it was so bad for Poults.

http://www.golf.com/tour-news/2017/02/24/ian-poulter-fighting-his-tour-card-i-cant-make-many-mistakes

Benicetomonty

Form has been poor the last 18 months. Didnt play after May last year due to a foot injury, so the medical exemption covers him for 5 or 6 tournaments on the 2016/2017 pga schedule, and he has to make 500k or so therein.

Big ask. His inability to close out events that he really shouldve won, including the 2015 Honda that Harrington won, has put him in this position.
Seems to have become more irritable on the course recently imo, probably a symptom of the situation hes in. Might see more of him in Europe the only thing if he loses his card.

WHIP IT!

The Steven Gerrard of British golf. Occasional spectacular moments glossing over the fact he's completely and hopelessly overrated. He's losing his card because he's simply not good enough to keep it.

LuckyGent88

WHIP IT! wrote: »

The Steven Gerrard of British golf. Occasional spectacular moments glossing over the fact he's completely and hopelessly overrated. He's losing his card because he's simply not good enough to keep it.

Well it doesn't help that he missed majority of last year through injury so couldn't get the money to keep a card. Although I do agree that he is overrated

Seve OB

WHIP IT! wrote: »

The Steven Gerrard of British golf. Occasional spectacular moments glossing over the fact he's completely and hopelessly overrated. He's losing his card because he's simply not good enough to keep it.

now hold on a minute, i don't want to drag this off topic, but to call Stevie G completely and hopelessly overrated is just bang out of order and shows your complete ignorance of the game of football.

now about IJP. I like him. not so sure I would call him overrated but I could see why some might. he had potential, played to it for a while, and some people felt he could go further but he had obviously peeked.
good character and a very good golfer. if he wasn't, he wouldn't have got the where he got to. for whatever reason he couldn't manage to stay there. he is not the first golfer and won't be the last

vienne86

I'm not a fan of Poulter.....think he can be a bit of a prat, but I do have some admiration for him - he didn't have it easy starting his career, and he took risks and made it. I feel sorry for him in his current position - good fight back yesterday though.

And his clothing business is closing....he's under the cosh all right.

Tilikum

'The postman always delivers'

except the last Ryder cup that he got picked for. He never should have been due to the absolute rubbish he was playing leading up to it.

Can't stand Poulter, never could. But I have a lot of respect for him. He started as a club pro and worked his balls off in the range.

stockdam

WHIP IT! wrote: »

The Steven Gerrard of British golf. Occasional spectacular moments glossing over the fact he's completely and hopelessly overrated. He's losing his card because he's simply not good enough to keep it.

Eh? Gerrard over-rated? You obviously have an agenda.

As for Poulter he's not playing well enough.

WHIP IT!

Liverpool fans, is there a more blinkered collection of people on God's good earth.

Poulter struggling today. I'd never wish a player to lose his card or whatever but I could never take to Ian I must say.

vienne86

A round of 76 today isn't helping his cause.

Armchair Andy

WHIP IT! wrote:

Liverpool fans, is there a more blinkered collection of people on God's good earth.

:-)

Anyone know how many jobs are gone at IJP? Shame.

WHIP IT!

I presume it just wasn't doing well?

I never really get this with sport stars. Why do they feel the need to branch out?? Golfers for example, if they're half decent, will make several hundred thousand a year plus endorsements... if they're good, they're into a couple mill... if they're Major good, they're into several mill... so why the f*ck does Poulter want to bother his balls with a clothing range and why does McDowell want the headache of a couple of restaurants??

Can't they just be happy to be really rich; travel the world playing golf, and relax and live the comfortable life in their down time? I've never understood it...

vienne86

WHIP IT! wrote: »

I presume it just wasn't doing well?

I never really get this with sport stars. Why do they feel the need to branch out?? Golfers for example, if they're half decent, will make several hundred thousand a year plus endorsements... if they're good, they're into a couple mill... if they're Major good, they're into several mill... so why the f*ck does Poulter want to bother his balls with a clothing range and why does McDowell want the headache of a couple of restaurants??

Can't they just be happy to be really rich; travel the world playing golf, and relax and live the comfortable life in their down time? I've never understood it...

In the case of Poulter, I reckon he's a bit of a peacock - he fancies himself, and in fairness, he looked well in his gear....well some of it. It's a side of him I never liked it. Very competitive business to be in though.

FixdePitchmark

I think talking about poults along the lines of Gerrard is way off the mark . He is more like Joey Barton.

A decent pro . But I find his trousers way off the mark. White house and cars . Very strange.

leonards

WHIP IT! wrote: »

I presume it just wasn't doing well?

I never really get this with sport stars. Why do they feel the need to branch out?? Golfers for example, if they're half decent, will make several hundred thousand a year plus endorsements... if they're good, they're into a couple mill... if they're Major good, they're into several mill... so why the f*ck does Poulter want to bother his balls with a clothing range and why does McDowell want the headache of a couple of restaurants??

Can't they just be happy to be really rich; travel the world playing golf, and relax and live the comfortable life in their down time? I've never understood it...

Re McDowell: I think I read that he wanted to learn some business skills for when he retires from golf.... and running a restaurant (chain of restaurants) would give him that hands on learning... golfers can earn a lot after they retire if they play their cars right...

WHIP IT!

leonards wrote:

Re McDowell: I think I read that he wanted to learn some business skills for when he retires from golf.... and running a restaurant (chain of restaurants) would give him that hands on learning... golfers can earn a lot after they retire if they play their cars right...

True. But they can earn an awful lot by playing into their mid-50s then retiring. I just don't really get it. They are in a business that can see you retire as a millionaire in your 50s (for many of them)... isn't that everyone's dream??

Benicetomonty

WHIP IT! wrote: »

True. But they can earn an awful lot by playing into their mid-50s then retiring. I just don't really get it. They are in a business that can see you retire as a millionaire in your 50s (for many of them)... isn't that everyone's dream??

Golf is a job to GMac and Poulter. It may look like a great life to you and me (and it is!) but there are elements to tour life that they must get tired of after a while. The time they spend travelling alone must wear thin after a while, especially since they both have young families at home, so trying to plan for a secure and stationary future probably crosses a lot of golfer's minds. Poulter is passionate about his clothes, and he decided to give it a crack. Didnt work out for him, but McDowell's restaurant seems to be going well. Tiger has his own restaurant as well as a course design company set up, so hel have something to do when he decides hes had enough of golf. Greg Norman made far far more money off the course than he ever made on it, if not simply away from golf altogether: wines, turf, beef..etc

Re Poulter's company, I was very disappointed to see it go. Tough market to crack though when you consider youre up against Nike, Adidas, Puma.. etc, and he didnt do the promotion any favours with some of his antics the last few years. I will say, however, that I think he was and is easily one of the best dressed players on tour, alongside Stenson, Scott and maybe 1 or 2 others. His brighter outfits werent to everyone's tastes but Ive always felt the coordination and tailoring/fit were second to none. He could be a bit out there but it's overlooked how well he did conservative/classic looks, like monochrome, navy, black and white etc. Id actually be quite interested to see if he signs a contract with a clothing company now or if he'll just continue producing his own gear in a private capacity.

WHIP IT!

I fully understand that golfers can make money in others ways than through playing golf. I just don't understand why those of them who make millions from the game bother. They can't take it with them - if it was me, I'd enjoy the easy life and would not risk my fortune on clothing/restaurant ventures.

FixdePitchmark

WHIP IT! wrote: »

I fully understand that golfers can make money in others ways than through playing golf. I just don't understand why those of them who make millions from the game bother. They can't take it with them - if it was me, I'd enjoy the easy life and would not risk my fortune on clothing/restaurant ventures.

Agree with you on McDowell - for a while there he forgot he was a golfer.

Adiaga 2

leonards wrote: »

Re McDowell: I think I read that he wanted to learn some business skills for when he retires from golf.... and running a restaurant (chain of restaurants) would give him that hands on learning... golfers can earn a lot after they retire if they play their cars right...

There may be something in that but somehow i doubt he would open up a car park(or chain of) or even something golf related like a driving range(or chain of). There's definitely a vanity element to it, which is fine but I wouldn't be having too much sympathy if it went t*ts up.

WHIP IT!

I realise I'm sort of taking the thread off-topic a bit here, so my apologies... but it kind of reminds of a story mentioned when Lowry contended for the US Open last year.

Obviously it went a bit t*ts up for Shane on the final day, that's golf - but someone on the radio mentioned that Shane had a corporate engagement the following day back in Dublin (the Monday after the US Open), the radio jock joked something to the extent of "I'm sure he was no more in the mood for that now..." and it just made me think... "who the f*ck scheduled that??"

Do the lads not stop to smell the roses at all? Must they shoe-horn in every possible moneymaking opportunity they can get their hands on? What if Shane had won - not even the chance of a lie-on the next morning for his first major!

Lee Westwood was tweeting non-stop for a while there about a new golf game app he was involved in - and it just made me think "Why bother, Lee?" You've more than enough money to enjoy life better than pretty much everybody else; spend time with the missus, the kids, the extended family - enjoy it!

FixdePitchmark

WHIP IT! wrote: »

I realise I'm sort of taking the thread off-topic a bit here, so my apologies... but it kind of reminds of a story mentioned when Lowry contended for the US Open last year.

Obviously it went a bit t*ts up for Shane on the final day, that's golf - but someone on the radio mentioned that Shane had a corporate engagement the following day back in Dublin (the Monday after the US Open), the radio jock joked something to the extent of "I'm sure he was no more in the mood for that now..." and it just made me think... "who the f*ck scheduled that??"

Do the lads not stop to smell the roses at all? Must they shoe-horn in every possible moneymaking opportunity they can get their hands on? What if Shane had won - not even the chance of a lie-on the next morning for his first major!

Lee Westwood was tweeting non-stop for a while there about a new golf game app he was involved in - and it just made me think "Why bother, Lee?" You've more than enough money to enjoy life better than pretty much everybody else; spend time with the missus, the kids, the extended family - enjoy it!

I get your general point - but they have to do a bit of work for their sponsorship - that was fairly moronic scheduling that one.

I do get worried when sports stars get distracted - but on the money front the golfers are basically hanging around with people far wealthier than themselves - from the corporate and business world. You'd imagine they would start getting ideas when they see real wealth.

I know being a golfer looks glamours and is glamours - but it is so consuming, time wise, you could become very one dimensional - I admire them at least trying a few different things. Some do great charity work.

But Ian Poulter Design was a serious vanity project. The guy didn't have the profile to pull that off. 8 top 10s in majors - a couple of impressive Ryder cups.

Golf fashion is a niche - horrible golf fashion is a particular niche.

vienne86

Well back to the thread title.....as opposed to Poulter's threads.....he shot -2 today, but yesterday killed him - tied 44th.

How many more tournaments has he left to play on the medical extension?

valoren

vienne86 wrote: »

In the case of Poulter, I reckon he's a bit of a peacock - he fancies himself, and in fairness, he looked well in his gear....well some of it. It's a side of him I never liked it. Very competitive business to be in though.

The article mentions that he used to look at the World Rankings every monday. That was when he was as high as 5th. Now he never checks it as he is 206th.

It is indicative that his checking the rankings was nothing more than an ego boost.
If anything he should still keep looking, To provide some motivation if nothing else.

valoren

WHIP IT! wrote: »

I realise I'm sort of taking the thread off-topic a bit here, so my apologies... but it kind of reminds of a story mentioned when Lowry contended for the US Open last year.

Obviously it went a bit t*ts up for Shane on the final day, that's golf - but someone on the radio mentioned that Shane had a corporate engagement the following day back in Dublin (the Monday after the US Open), the radio jock joked something to the extent of "I'm sure he was no more in the mood for that now..." and it just made me think... "who the f*ck scheduled that??"

Do the lads not stop to smell the roses at all? Must they shoe-horn in every possible moneymaking opportunity they can get their hands on? What if Shane had won - not even the chance of a lie-on the next morning for his first major!

Lee Westwood was tweeting non-stop for a while there about a new golf game app he was involved in - and it just made me think "Why bother, Lee?" You've more than enough money to enjoy life better than pretty much everybody else; spend time with the missus, the kids, the extended family - enjoy it!

Remember Stenson after winning the Open. He travelled the next day for a charity clinic set up by Garcia. His first major, one of the most memorable in recent memory, and he is immediately on a plane to the next item on the schedule. He didn't have to but he did.

I guess it was a case of being a man of his word with Sergio.

Same with other ventures. I'm sure the people who approached Westwood did so in order to leverage his followers on Twitter. It's all quid pro quo. He did what he was asked to do and got well paid for it.

If you are smart you are going to leverage yourself as much as possible, to earn as much as possible. It's a fickle sport as we know. One bad year and you can lose your card, and with it your marketability, a debilitating injury can be around the corner. Make hay while the sun shines.

As far as investing and other business ventures, it's one thing to invest in a business, it's another to operate it obviously, Gmac could have easily gotten a McDonalds franchise and outsourced it's operations. But in terms of operations, you wouldn't want to be getting involved during the peak of your career in anything intensive.

I'm reminded of getting a tour of Stamford Bridge once. The guide said that everything for the players is catered for. Literally everything. They are paid to train, play, win (hopefully), rest, train, play and nothing else. The idea is that they didn't want John Terry for example worrying about his car tax or a having a potential fine from the FA on his mind as a cross came in during a match. The psychology of it is to minimize arousal before matches.

It's a way of explaining why Ferguson allowed Beckham to leave United. He was becoming a brand unto himself and was according to Ferguson becoming distracted and a distraction.

While McDowell can own and outsource operation of a restaurant, he can give himself the head space to be involved with it and understand it's operations but he is clever enough to not be consumed by just yet it i.e. he's not thinking about payroll, tax returns, other admin stuff while standing over a 3 foot putt for example.

Poulter started his own business, and seemed to have become deeply involved to the point of distraction and a plummet in the rankings.
He was focused on fighting for market share in a market dominated by enormous companies.

It's like when Warren Buffett told how if you gave him $1 billion with the sole purpose of becoming the world's #1 soft drink company, he said he would simply hand the cheque back. Coke is #1. It would be a waste of time and effort to fight for market share.

Poulter could have marketed his range of clothes and leveraged off the likes of UA, Nike et al become a subsidiary of their existing range. Such is the make up of the man, he tried to go it alone and it's a hard road.
He should have looked at the Buffett angle and re-thought his approach, and indulge his passion differently.

Joe_ Public

This little clip always springs to my mind whenever Ian Poulter's career is mentioned:

Now, perhaps you think "meltdown" is over-egging that a bit, but the fact is from being within a couple of shots of the lead, playing well and in contention, he goes bogey, par, double bogey, bogey and he's flapped his way out of a prime shot at a major title. If McDowell could get the job done, then Poulter should have been able to convince himself that he could too. But he simply never had that capacity. One major test of nerve - it's just one dropped shot for pity's sake - and he reaches instinctively for the woe is me, victim card, not able to acknowledge that the whole field had to face that probably unfair hole, not just him.

Perhaps the matchplay format suited him better, given a bad hole was just one hole and could be more easily consigned to history. As we know, he has a decent matchplay record, not just counting the Ryder Cup. I recall one year he faced Paul Casey in the world matchplay final and Casey crumbling when an unseasonable squall blew in across the desert location in which they were playing. I quite like Casey but was shocked to see him virtually capitulate that title largely due to a bout of inclement weather!

BigChap1759

WHIP IT! wrote: »

I realise I'm sort of taking the thread off-topic a bit here, so my apologies... but it kind of reminds of a story mentioned when Lowry contended for the US Open last year.

Obviously it went a bit t*ts up for Shane on the final day, that's golf - but someone on the radio mentioned that Shane had a corporate engagement the following day back in Dublin (the Monday after the US Open), the radio jock joked something to the extent of "I'm sure he was no more in the mood for that now..." and it just made me think... "who the f*ck scheduled that??"

Do the lads not stop to smell the roses at all? Must they shoe-horn in every possible moneymaking opportunity they can get their hands on? What if Shane had won - not even the chance of a lie-on the next morning for his first major!

Lee Westwood was tweeting non-stop for a while there about a new golf game app he was involved in - and it just made me think "Why bother, Lee?" You've more than enough money to enjoy life better than pretty much everybody else; spend time with the missus, the kids, the extended family - enjoy it!

The lads were getting mega bucks for that event at Royal Dublin, 1/200k for a days work, would have been mad not to take a gig like that

WHIP IT!

BigChap1759 wrote: »

The lads were getting mega bucks for that event at Royal Dublin, 1/200k for a days work, would have been mad not to take a gig like that

It's all relative though... 1/200k to them is not like 1/200k to me or you (ie, pretty lifechanging)... how much is enough?

FixdePitchmark

WHIP IT! wrote: »

It's all relative though... 1/200k to them is not like 1/200k to me or you (ie, pretty lifechanging)... how much is enough?

Now come on - 200 K for what a day - at a handy outing with crap golfers on a nice course in Dublin, then home that night.

If he did get 200 K - you can't turn that down.

acalmenvoy

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Now come on - 200 K for what a day - at a handy outing with crap golfers on a nice course in Dublin, then home that night.

If he did get 200 K - you can't turn that down.

Yeah, if it's true. Don't care how minted you are you're not turning that down. Money for old rope.

WHIP IT!

So how much is enough? We've had Tiger flying 15hrs with a bad back to stiffly walk 18 holes in a far flung destination for what? To throw another mill on the pile?

When is it enough money? What level of financial comfort do these guys need to be at before they can just get on with it?

FixdePitchmark

WHIP IT! wrote: »

So how much is enough? We've had Tiger flying 15hrs with a bad back to stiffly walk 18 holes in a far flung destination for what? To throw another mill on the pile?

When is it enough money? What level of financial comfort do these guys need to be at before they can just get on with it?

A level that they refuse a handy 200K on the way home past Dublin airport.

That would be enough - Shane not at that level.

WHIP IT!

Makes ya wonder, if Shane had held on and won the US Open, would his appearance fee have gone up between Sunday night and Monday morning?? 😊

WHIP IT!

WHIP IT! wrote: »

Makes ya wonder, if Shane had held on and won the US Open, would his appearance fee have gone up between Sunday night and Monday morning?? 😊

There were a lot of guys signed up for the gig. Jack Nicklaus was there, Rory, Westwood that I can remember off the top of my head. I know there was up to 20 Pro's all getting top dollar. Can't blame hem.

valoren

WHIP IT! wrote: »

So how much is enough? We've had Tiger flying 15hrs with a bad back to stiffly walk 18 holes in a far flung destination for what? To throw another mill on the pile?

When is it enough money? What level of financial comfort do these guys need to be at before they can just get on with it?

Suppose Tiger has a net worth of $750,000,000

He decides to travel for a corporate gig for a week in Dubai.
His appearance fee will be $2,000,000.

Assume he earns 5% on his wealth in one year.
So $37,500,000 annually in an average year.

He'd have earned $721,153 for that week alone if he stayed at home and played Call of Duty. That kind of money is 2nd place or T3 for a PGA tournament. And he earns that every week.

When you're as wealthy as that, then flying first class for a corporate shindig simply becomes something to do.
So when money isn't a driving factor, what is?
I would imagine it has a lot to do with self esteem.
So long as they keep asking, he will keep going.

Martin567

Exactly wrote: »

There were a lot of guys signed up for the gig. Jack Nicklaus was there, Rory, Westwood that I can remember off the top of my head. I know there was up to 20 Pro's all getting top dollar. Can't blame hem.

I would just wonder why anyone would arrange a corporate thing like this in Ireland for the day after the US Open finishes. If the 4th round had been delayed or an 18 hole play-off required, one or more of the players might have had to withdraw anyway.

If you're putting that much money into something, wouldn't it make more sense not to schedule it for a day when players might potentially have to pull out at the last minute?

Armchair Andy

valoren wrote:

When you're as wealthy as that, then flying first class for a corporate shindig simply becomes something to do. So when money isn't a driving factor, what is? I would imagine it has a lot to do with self esteem. So long as they keep asking, he will keep going.

If that was the case he'd be doing it for nothing. Greed is a great motivator and it's not limited to Tiger or golf in general.

vienne86

So if Poulter finishes in the top 12 tonight, he keeps his card. Currently lying 9th, so looking good for him.

First Up

vienne86 wrote:

So if Poulter finishes in the top 12 tonight, he keeps his card. Currently lying 9th, so looking good for him.

How come this is being decided in April? Are cards not usually decided based on rankings at the end of the season?

mickmackmcgoo

First Up wrote:

How come this is being decided in April? Are cards not usually decided based on rankings at the end of the season?

He is playing on a medical extension, around 10 events this season to get a certain amount of FedEx points. Not sure where sky are getting top 12 finish being enough from . On Thursday the American commentators said he needed 112 points which equates to a top 4 finish . He has one more event after this to get it

JIdontknow

http://www.golf.com/tour-news/2017/02/24/ian-poulter-fighting-his-tour-card-i-cant-make-many-mistakes

This says $220k or 112 FedEx points, which they claim equates to a top 12 finish but here's the seemingly breakdown of the purse for the rbc heritage.

http://topbet.eu/news/2017-rbc-heritage-purse-and-prize-money-breakdown.html

vienne86

All coming unstuck for him now - 3 over after 14.

Russman

Is there a limit to the number of sponsor invites he can get after next week ?

Interesting to see if he relocates back to Europe or picks up enough invites to still play a decent schedule.

Podge_H

I would not expect him to come back to Europe, more inclined to play the Web.com I would think.

vienne86

Podge_H wrote: »

I would not expect him to come back to Europe, more inclined to play the Web.com I would think.

No, I wouldn't expect him to come back to Europe either - he lives in the US, has his family over there etc., and he won't want to uproot, I'd say.

Russman

I guess if it came to it he could "commute" (for want of a better word !) and play 2 or 3 events at a time over here in the summer. Although that wouldn't really help him get back on the PGA, unless he picked up a shed load of ranking points in the bigger events (Wentworth, Rolex series etc).
Maybe it won't come to it with a good finish next week.

Captain_Crash

Martin567 wrote: »

I would just wonder why anyone would arrange a corporate thing like this in Ireland for the day after the US Open finishes. If the 4th round had been delayed or an 18 hole play-off required, one or more of the players might have had to withdraw anyway.

If you're putting that much money into something, wouldn't it make more sense not to schedule it for a day when players might potentially have to pull out at the last minute?

Because its the day after the US Open finishes, the event is still raw in the memory and there is still a buzz about it...

The suits who are attending will have been telling their friends the previous week, "I'm golfing with Jack, Lee ect... next week" right when a major is in the news.. so from a corporate point of view, it makes perfect sense to schedule it the Monday after a major, clients will lap it up. Strike while the iron's hot.

Had Shane won, the event would have been even bigger.

Also bear in mind, for a tour pro, Monday is normally the only free day they have each week as Tuesday and Wednesday are taken up with media and practice (presuming they are competing that week)

vienne86

So, 3 over today after 12 holes. Lying tied 140th. Putting is letting him down today. I know he is a great fighter and he isn't gone yet, but it's looking bleak.

Armchair Andy

vienne86 wrote:

So, 3 over today after 12 holes. Lying tied 140th. Putting is letting him down today. I know he is a great fighter and he isn't gone yet, but it's looking bleak.

Nah he's finished. If he was ever going to do it it was last Sunday. Pity.

WHIP IT!

It's official. He's out.

vienne86

WHIP IT! wrote: »

It's official. He's out.

Yeah, only shot -1 today - he won't make the cut, so that is that. It'll be interesting to see what he does now.