Poulter predicts title challenge
Ian Poulter is confident of doing something special this weekend at the Johnnie Walker Classic.
Poulter carded a second-round 66 at The Vines to lie eight under for the tournament, five strokes behind leader KJ Choi.
āIām very happy with my game,ā said the world number 67 after a round of eight birdies and two bogeys. āIām missing a few short putts, but thatās golf.
āYouāre not going to hole them all the time.
āIām playing so good and I donāt want to give up chances. Itās frustrating Iām giving shots back and when you win golf tournaments you donāt give shots back.
āI should be leading the tournament. If I play (this weekend) like Iāve played for the first two days I will give someone a run for their money all the way.ā
The flamboyant 30-year-old ā decked out fully in blue ā has been modelling a specially designed outfit as a promotion for the tournament sponsor, drawing just as much attention with his play as with his attire.
āThe crowd love it, itās great,ā he added.
US Open champion Michael Campbell, world number three Retief Goosen and Colin Montgomerie all failed to make the halfway cut, which fell at two under.
āItās a strange start to the season but Iām not too stressed about it,ā a disappointed Campbell said after rounds of 72 and 74.
āI found it hard to judge the pace of my putts today.
āObviously itās a little hiccup in the whole preparation for the year, Iām disappointed Iām not playing the weekend.ā
Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam was another to miss the cut after rounds of 74 and 71.
Paul Casey added a 69 to his opening 68 to finish seven under, alongside Scotlandās Stephen Gallacher who carded an excellent 66.
But the man to catch remains Choi, the Korean claiming the outright lead with a round of 66 following his opening 65.
āIāve been feeling good with my putter and I havenāt missed many shots,ā Choi said.
āIāve been able to put up two really good scores and hope to continue.ā
At 13 under Choi is two ahead of American world number 256 Kevin Stadler.
Stadler, son of former Ryder Cup player Craig Stadler, had trouble reading the greens in his 69.
Defending champion Adam Scott, joint overnight leader with Stadler, began the day badly with two consecutive bogeys.
But the world number 10 recovered to card a 71 to finish nine under, tied for third with fellow Australians Richard Green and Tony Carolan.
The round of the day came from Australian Gary Simpson who fired a course-record 63 to catapult himself into contention at six under.
āIt was one of those days where I got the good bounces and I took full advantage of it,ā Simpson said.
āI knew I had to shoot 67 or 68 to make the cut.ā







