Ian Poulter believes major breakthrough is close after spirited Royal Birkdale performance

Jul 22 2008 by Carl Markham, Liverpool Daily Post

IAN POULTER wants to put the disappointment of missing out on his first major behind him by qualifying for the Ryder Cup team.

At Royal Birkdale, the 32 years-old finished four shots behind Padraig Harrington as the Irishman successfully defended his title.

But for a couple of missed putts, England could have had their first Open champion since Nick Faldo won the third of his Claret Jugs at Muirfield in 1992.

A small consolation would have been his rise in the Ryder Cup standings to 12th, just outside automatic selection, and with the US PGA and the WGC-Bridgestone events to come Poulter has every chance of securing his place.

However, he knows he must not let all his good work at Birkdale go to waste.

“I’ve know I can perform and can play well. I guess it is trying to let that come out in me,” said Poulter, who made his solitary appearance in the victorious team at Oakland Hills in 2004.

“I certainly put in a good show on Sunday and there is plenty more in me.

“I know I can go better. On that side of it I’m fairly happy how I played and I take a lot of confidence from it.

“Let’s hope this will springboard me on to have a massive push over the next few weeks before the Ryder Cup team gets picked. I want to make the side, I’ve made that clear.

“It was great to be in it four years ago. I feel I have a lot to offer the side and if I play like I did in the last round then the Ryder Cup side would be a great place to be.”

Poulter has also proved to himself and his critics that he can contend in majors.

The Buckinghamshire-based professional is renowned for his flamboyant dress sense and when he wore trousers featuring the Claret Jug at the 2005 Open at St Andrews the legendary Seve Ballesteros said it was the closest he would get to the prize.

Ballesteros may yet turn out to be wrong. Poulter is convinced he has the game to follow where Harrington has led after the Irishman ended the eight-year wait for another European major winner with his breakthrough victory at Carnoustie 12 months ago.

“I have done my best. It hasn’t quite been good enough but I’ll be back for lots more of this. It is a nice roller coaster ride,” he said.

“I have certainly put myself right back in the picture. There has been a lot of talk this year and I haven’t achieved what I should have and I said at the start of last week it is amazing what one week can do for your year.

“It is nice to finish runner-up in an Open. It would be nice to go one step further.

“It is all about winning. I finished second and I’m not going to hold second place as high as some of my wins.”

The “talk” Poulter refers to partly surrounds controversial comments reported in a magazine in March in which he was quoted as saying: “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 (Woods).”

He later claimed he had been misquoted but now he is happy for his golf to do his talking.

“That’s all passed. I’m happy to be playing good golf. I don’t need to ride the storm of comments that get taken out of context,” he added.

“I’m just here to play good golf and I’m pleased I went out there and put a good show on.

“Padraig has shown he’s a worthy winner again and that is what you strive for – you don’t strive to finish second. That is what will make me practise harder and harder. I’ve done my best. You never look back, it is too easy to do that. You take the positives out of it and that is that I played well down the stretch.”