Poulter celebrates new arrival

Ian Poulter was missing when the third round of the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open began in Heidelberg today – but it was for the best possible reason.

The Ryder Cup hopeful, due to tee off in the second group of the day at 7.24am, had received a call in the early hours that he was about to become a father for the second time.

The baby, a boy named Luke James, arrived at 4.30, a day earlier than expected and too soon for Poulter to be there at the birth. But the main thing, of course, was that he and his mother were both well.

Poulter, currently eighth in the race for places in Europe’s team, said two weeks ago that if he was in contention in Germany he would probably leave fiancee Katie to it if she went into labour and pursue his ambition of a cup debut.

As it was, he had survived the halfway cut with nothing to spare at two over par, 13 strokes behind leader Alex Cejka.

Poulter’s manager Paul Dunkley said this morning that the player, who already has a two-year-old daughter Aimee-Leigh, would be back in action at next week’s Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth.

The timing of that could not be better because he can commute from his home in Milton Keynes.

Meanwhile, back at the £2m (€3m) tournament another player with a Ryder Cup debut in his sights was unable to bring it closer into view.

Paul Casey, in the 10th and last automatic spot, also survived the cut by the skin of his teeth and this morning played the first five holes in five over par to be joint last of the 72 men left in.

Casey, who finished with a double bogey yesterday, resumed bogey-bogey and then had a triple bogey seven on the the 460-yard fifth.

Even with a birdie two holes later the Surrey golfer was out in 40, but the back nine promised to be better when he started it with another birdie.

Lee Westwood, sixth in the points table, remained two over after eight holes, while Brian Davis, seventh, double-bogeyed the seventh and dropped to three over.