Ian Poulter not shouting victory yet in legal battle with DP World Tour
LEGAL BATTLE: Ian Poulter of England speaks to media during day two of the JP McManus Pro-Am at Adare Manor Golf Club in Adare, Limerick. Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile
Ian Poulter is a demon in matchplay but while he might feel one-up in his battle with the DP World Tour having had his ban on playing in this week’s Scottish Open suspended temporarily, he’s unsure if he’ll ever be Ryder Cup skipper.
Following a hearing before HHJ Sycamore CBE, appointed by Sport Resolutions (UK), suspensions imposed on Poulter, Adrian Otaegui and Justin Harding were temporarily stayed on Monday pending determination of their substantive appeals by an Appeal Panel.
Poulter is counting that as a mini victory but he is not beating his chest, Ryder Cup-style, just yet as he heads for the Renaissance Club this week and wonders about his Ryder Cup future.
“We followed the procedure laid down by the Tour for an appeal process,” Poulter said at Adare Manor. “We have obviously won that appeal. I feel pretty good.
"I feel like it was the right decision and I am looking forward to the week.”
Bar a clear difference of opinion with former Ryder Cup skipper Thomas Bjorn, he denies any tension inside the European camp between the rebels and the loyalists.
“The locker room are people I play against week in week out and if they take objection to it that is up to those guys,” he said.
“I have not had a problem with any of the players. I have seen Rory (McIlroy) this week and had a chat. Seen Thomas (Bjorn) and we have a difference of opinion but we are still friends. Which is nice.
"When you have played golf with these players for a very long time it is strictly a business decision. It is not a personal decision that needs to get in the way of friendships and I class pretty much everyone here on Tour as a friend.”
While he has no comment to make on the indefinite suspension from the PGA TOUR, he believes he was right to appeal in Europe.
“I would not appeal if I didn’t think it was the right thing to do,” he said. “I don’t feel I have done anything different to how I have played golf over the last 24 years. So to not be allowed to play golf was why I wanted to make that appeal. I am not going to sit back when I think it is slightly unjust.
“I have always played the Scottish Open for I don’t know how many years.
"The 150th Open at St Andrews is a fairly significant one for me. It was my first one in 2000. It will be my last one at St Andrews. I wanted some links golf prep before going in.
“I feel that everything I have done for 24 years for my card, and everything I have committed over the years, 389 tournaments on the European Tour, holding two tour cards and staying committed to the European tour like I have, I didn’t not want to play. It was not a nice position to be in. The panel judged it was unfair. It was the right thing to do.”
As for his future in Ryder Cup, he knows that depends on the DP World Tour board.
“It would be nice if the powers that be could get their heads together and come together in all of this,” he said. “I have been committed to the European Tour in all the events I have played and that has never changed. My opinion has never changed. I have always played 100pc more events in Europe than I have needed to from a respect point of view to the European Tour even holding a PGA Tour card.”
Graeme McDowell revealed this week he’s had death threats on social media and Poulter finds that upsetting and dangerous.
“Social media has good and bad to it, and sometimes it is a dangerous forum to sit and read,” he said.
“People don’t know the full story, the background, the reasons for your decision and take it on themselves to give their thoughts. It is not a great forum now for bedtime reading.
“It is quite distressing. People are entitled to their opinions. It has got extremely nasty unfortunately.”
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