Putter brings pain to Poulter

Ian Poulter just managed to keep a lid on his frutration today after suffering another blow to his hopes of qualifyin for the Masters.

Ian Poulter just managed to keep a lid on his frustration today after suffering another blow to his hopes of qualifying for the Masters.

“I feel like taking my putter into the car park and giving it a right good thrashing,” said Poulter after an opening level-par 72 in the £5m (€7.3m) Players Championship at Sawgrass in Florida.

It left him seven behind joint early leaders Davis Love and Jim Furyk – both round in 65 – and since he needs a top-three finish to make it to Augusta Poulter was understandably far from happy, especially after closing with a bogey six at the long ninth.

“I am playing great, but I’m just not making any putts,” he said.

“I’ve tried to change the putter a couple of times, but I’ve had it for three and a half years, won the Volvo Masters with it and I keep giving it another chance.

“I’m not sure how many more I’ll give it, though.”

And when asked if he might take it back to his hotel room to work on his stroke he added: “If I did that I think I might smash the room up.”

Poulter, without a win for 17 months and with a round of 82 at Bay Hill last week, twice got up and down from bunkers at par fives on the back nine to turn in 35 and after bogeying the fifth came back with a superb birdie.

He drove into more sand on the difficult seventh, but from there struck a five-iron to eight feet.

However, he followed that by coming up short of the ninth green in another bunker and failed to get up and down.

Love, who won the title for a second time three years ago with a brilliant closing 64, turned in 34 and then added further birdies at the 11th, 12th and 16th.

But playing partner and Ryder Cup team-mate Furyk caught him with five birdies in seven holes starting at the 11th.

They led by two from Australian Robert Allenby, while leading Europeans were Swede Daniel Chopra and Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal, both at four under with five to play.

World number one Tiger Woods was among the later starters and was back at Sawgrass after a 4,000-mile round trip to see his seriously ill father in California.

Londoner Brian Davis thanked television commentator Ewen Murray after matching the two-under 70 of Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson.

Davis has had his struggles at the start of this year, but a lesson with former European Tour player Murray brought the desired results straightaway.

“He got me to turn my right shoulder more and the first iron shot I hit today felt good and set the round up.

“I’ve had no confidence all year (after taking a break following surgery for skin cancer), but have been putting well thank God. Without that I would not have been breaking 80.

“The key was missing, but hopefully I’ve found it now with Ewen’s help.”

Colin Montgomerie, trying to avoid a fourth successive missed cut for the first time in his long career, was one under with four to go, while David Howell stood two under after 12.

Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Greg Owen – second last week after a calamitous double bogey, bogey finish - were other late starters.

Mickelson’s 70 came despite a double-bogey five at the island green 17th. The hole has bad memories for the left-handers. In his previous two visits he put three balls into the lake and one more followed.