Masters Golf 2011: Ian Poulter

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Bubba Watson: America's newest golf and fan favorite?

Ian Poulter

An article in The Palm Beach Post, "He's Bubba Watson, he's American and he's becoming a big time player," made Tom Petty's song "Freefalling" come to mind:

"She's a good girl, loves her mama
Loves Jesus and America too..."

Gerry "Bubba" Watson is fast becoming both a USA and PGA Tour 'best hope' as a young number-one player most likely to grab the top spot in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Although it will take time to 'rule' the rankings and push past European Tour golfers, I was curious as to why Bubba is fast becoming a fan favorite.

Photo credit: New Orleans Sport

Can it be his social media conversation that engages fans? Although Watson's tweets are less than memorable, he still currently lays claim to over 122,000 followers. Bubba also shares videos with the fans and answers questions ...but he's no Ian Poulter!

Bubba Watson Twitter profile? Christian, Husband, Pro Golfer who enjoys giving back to help others grow in life! Your welcome.

A link from Twitter to Facebook simply leads a user directly to the Bubba Watson Facebook page (over 18,000 strong) which shows affiliations with great American charities,

"The Ronald McDonald House Charities, The First Tee of Northwest Florida, University of Georgia, PGA Tour, The Birdies for the Brave and The Green Beret Foundation."

Bubba may not be the great communicator that helps drive Lee Westwood or Ian Poulter's fan base, so it may well be his golf game that draws the crowd.

Watson has become a solid Tour golfer. After his second victory of 2011 came last week at the Zurich Classic and his third overall on the PGA Tour, fans are starting to cheer Bubba.

Avid golf fan and Yahoo contributor Mark Paul gave a sense of the typical fan feelings about Bubba, "He is a popular golfer because of his style of play. But he is also becoming popular for his quality of play."

Brett Martel , writer with the Associated Press added, "The lanky lefty's unorthodox swing and awe-inspiring power were already a draw."

In my opinion, being a left-handed golfer with a huge "down the middle" drive certainly helps Watson stand out in a crowd. Combine these attributes with his Mickelson-esque family involvement and his determination to become a better man and Bubba has all the makings of a PGA Tour standout.

Bubba was considered a bit of a "hothead" earlier in his career, "My wife, my caddie and my trainer would say my attitude's in the right spot," Watson said. "This week, I won [by] not getting down on bad shots, just staying focused on what I'm supposed to be doing."

"All the bad boys are standing in the shadows...", Tom Petty, "Freefalling"

Perhaps it was the ability to manage his anger which turned around Bubba's golf game placing him in a position to win. "If I'm going to support kids and do charity work, that's not a good example to lead on a golf course," relayed Bubba. "So I still have backwards steps, but hopefully I take two forward when I take one back, and so far it's working." Sounds like Watson has finally stopped freefalling and is starting a forward motion which may make him unstoppable.

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Ian Poulter vs. Tiger Woods

Ian Poulter

"I don't think he'll [Tiger Woods] finish in the top five. The shots he was hitting at Doral were very inconsistent. You can't afford to hit shots like that on this golf course [Augusta National] and get away with it. I don't think you want to rely on your short game that much around this place."

Another stellar prediction by Poulter. Almost as good as this one when he said the golf world would come down to just him and Tiger.

Currently the scoreboard reads:

Woods: 14 majors, 71 PGA wins
Poulter: 0 majors, 1 PGA win

Golf fans policing PGA Tour: Good or bad for the game?

Ian Poulter

Tim Finchem created a buzz in the golf media world with the admission that if fans want to call in a rules infraction, it is their right to do so. This will create thousands of call-ins by armchair golfers who think they see, or possibly do see, something.

For the most part, PGA Tour golfers know the rules but, Ian Poulter even reluctantly admitted, "I still dont know all the rules, there's too many."

Although there are Tour golfers who admit they don't know every rule, is "see something, say something" always the best idea?

Why encourage fans to police the PGA Tour?

With social media being an integral part of the world we live in, it is quite easy to reach the PGA Tour via Twitter or Facebook with a comment or an @ statement. Although seemingly harmless, not every fan with a Rules of Golf book should be an armchair referee.

"Cutting them (fans) off is not an option at this point" said Finchem, and he has a point. With the PGA Tour grasping for audience, the Commissioner isn't turning away any viewers but, rather, welcoming them in as pseudo-refs.

Telephoning the Tour is an option but would create a glut of calls for every piece of dirt that a fan thought was moved illegally. Perhaps Finchem will set up a special hotline that he could man during each event?

One good thing that may come out of all of this is that fans may actually dust off their copies of the Rules of Golf. Golfers may finally READ and understand the rules!

Should the game of golf remain pure or should the new media be welcomed into the sport? Paddy Miller mentioned that the Commissioner has compromised the integrity of the game and is jeopardizing the tradition of golf itself.

Golf has always been a sport of honor in which golfers call an infractions on themselves...if they know that an infraction was created.

If a Tour player, however, didn't realize that he broke a rule, he could go on to win the event which would be unfair to the other golfers. With money and position at stake and knowing that technology now rules the airwaves, it is impossible to keep the tradition of the game completely status quo. Hopefully a resolution that is fair to all will be achieved.

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Golf snitch tweets in DQ, should Poulter be offended?

Ian Poulter

"An armchair official tweeted in to get Camilo DQ. What is wrong with people have they got nothing better to do?" tweeted an angry Ian Poulter after a fan spotted a rules violation on TV by Villegas and decided to say something about it.

In this world where everyone is now connected through the internet and social media, Dave Andrews decided to tweet it. The question was not whether Villegas is guilty of the infraction but whether fans should come forward or leave policing and the outcome of the game to pro golfers?

"No one likes a snitch," continued Poulter. True but also no golfer wants to lose a big paycheck and FedEx points at the end of the day...and no golfer wants to win for the wrong reasons.

Poulter made a good case on Twitter for why fans should see something, say something, "I still dont know all the rules, theres too many. More to life than eating rule books."

Yes it is difficult to remember all of the rules...there are so many (that is why golfers carry around the Rule Book) but, in this case, the ball did not come to rest as Villegas flicked dirt from its path, possibly affecting its line. Most amateur and even many beginner golfers understand to wait for a golf ball to come to rest before addressing it. The mind focuses on what it wants to and Camilo was probably thinking of his next shot. Villegas understood his infraction and graciously took his medicine learning this lesson in the process:

Rule 23-1: ''When a ball is in motion, a loose impediment that might influence the movement of the ball must not be removed.''

I wonder how many golfers realize that a hole is not complete until a golf ball drops to (and comes to rest at) the bottom of the cup?

Ian Poulter should perhaps also understand that without the avid golf fans who tune in to watch and learn about the sport from professionals (and have nothing to do?), events like the Hyundai Tournament of Champions which could not draw three out of four major winners, would probably never take place. No play day, no pay day for the golfers.

"Case closed, yes he should have been punished but it's a shame it wasn't before he signed his card," ended Poulter's tirade.

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Ian Poulter (credit)

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Poulter's Predictions

Ian Poulter

Over the years, Ian Poulter has made some pretty idiotic predictions.

Above, he said the USA had no chance vs. England at the World Cup.

USA 1 England 1. Sorry Ian, teach your goalie how to catch.

In 2008, he predicted he would rival Tiger. "Don't get me wrong, I really respect every professional golfer, but I know I haven't played to my full potential and when that happens, it will be just me and Tiger."

Oh really. Huh. Since then, Tiger has 10 PGA wins including a major and Poulter has 1 win on Tour.

And his latest:

"The American guys who have won all the tournaments over the past few years are getting older. Phil Mickelson is 40 – can he do what Vijay Singh did in his 40s? He's strong enough; it's whether he is hungry enough, I guess.
"The talent in America to replace them is very young and needs a bit more experience, so we have a 15-year window. The Americans have a gap and that gap is being filled by European guys right now, guys who are in their late 20s, early 30s and who are doing the job right now.
"In five years' time we should have taken a few majors. I don't want to put a number on it but the English guys that are in the top 40 in the world are all capable of winning them. It's for us to go out there and prove it but we can certainly win one or two a year, for sure."

He is right that there are several English players in the top 10 and they have been getting closer to winning majors, however, to say that they have a 15 year gap is absurd.

He is asking if Phil Mickelson is hungry enough? He just won the Masters genius.

Only time will tell if Ian "1 PGA win" Poulter, Paul "triple bogey at every major" Casey, or Lee "runner up" Westwood can get it done in a major.

The Monday Caddie: Wasted opportunity, middle fingers

Ian Poulter

What was Rickie Fowler thinking at the Waste Management Open? One shot down, he decided to lay-up instead of going for the par-5 15th in two from 230 yards. It was only a 210 carry over the water with plenty of room in front of the green. Even if he hit the ball in the water, he could have still gotten up and down for par. His lay-up left him about 80 yards out, but he spun his wedge off the green and had to settle for par. Fowler made strong attempts at birdies on the next three holes but he couldn't get any of the putts to drop and lost by one to Hunter Mahan.

Fowler is the latest to be labeled the "next Tiger" and brings a lot of excitement to the game. One thing is for sure though, Tiger never would have layed up in that situation, especially at age 21. This will be a good learning experience for Fowler, and he will probably win soon, but he has to be regretting that decision.

After missing a putt at the 16th hole Sunday, the crowd serenaded Ian Poulter with a chorus of boos and chants of USA. Poulter responded to the drunks with the English gesture for thank you. So much for the gentleman's game.

Fowler - AP photo / Paul Connors
Poulter - Golf channel, Devil Ball Golf

The Monday Caddie: Mr. Pink wins, Tiger, Tour updates

Ian Poulter

Paula Creamer, I mean Ian Poulter dressed in pink, won the Accenture World Match Play. This was the first PGA Tour win for Poulter and really takes his status to the next level. He played great all week, capping it off with a dominating victory over Sergio Garcia in the semi-finals and then taking out fellow Englishman Paul Casey in the finals.

A few years ago he took a lot of heat for saying if he plays to his potential, then he and Tiger are the top two players in the world. Not exactly at that point yet but he's definitely moving his way up the charts. At least he provides some flash and excitement to the game.

Paul Casey finished as runner up at Match Play for the second consecutive year and his game is looking very sharp now that he's healthy again. Casey also just made headlines for donating 100k to charity in Houston.

Camillo Villegas played great as well at the Match Play and should have beat Casey in the semi-finals but missed a 2 1/2 foot putt for the victory on the 23rd hole. Although unfortunate, a 3rd place finish was a pretty good way to start his season. He also hit one of the most ridiculous bunker shots ever when he played an explosion shot with a pitching wedge from 70 yards to one foot. David Feherty, CBS announcer, called it the best bunker shot he ever saw.

Sergio Garcia seems to cry every time something goes wrong. This time it was the cold weather, rain, wind, and Poulter taking a favorable ruling during their match. Either way, Garcia got crushed by both Poulter in the semi-finals and in the consolation to Villegas.

TIGER WOODS:

You may have heard about some speech Tiger gave this past Friday. He supposedly had a few viewers.

His speech affected the Stock Market.

The Dalai Lama weighed in on Tiger, although he said he had never heard of him prior to his speech.

Steve Williams, Tiger's caddie, will not allow heckling when he returns. There are going to be a lot of incidents.

TMZ reports Tiger is now in Mesa for rehab. Not sure why they have pictures of his plane but not him.

His boy Roger Federer wants him back on the golf course. Don't we all.

OTHER WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Cameron Beckman wins the Mayacoba Golf Classic.

Ai Miyazato wins the PTT LPGA Honda in Thailand

Bernard Langer wins the Allianz Championship on the Senior Tour.

Ian Poulter photo / AP - Nam Huh

Final Four set at Accenture Match Play

Ian Poulter

Despite many of the top seeds losing early, some big names have reached the final four of the Accenture World Match Play.

In the quarterfinals Saturday morning, Ian Poulter defeated Thongchai Jaidee 1up while Sergio Garcia defeated Oliver Wilson by a score of 4 and 3. On the other side of the bracket, Camillo Villegas beat Retief Goosen 4 and 3 while Paul Casey whipped up on Stewart Cink, winning with a score of 5 up.

The semi-finals take place Saturday afternoon and the 36 hole final will be Sunday.

Final Four

Camillo Villegas