Beware the wounded golfer as Poulter wins in Wales
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2003 The Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open | Wrap | 02 Jun 2003
Englishman Ian Poulter’s week long struggle with tonsillitis was rewarded with his fourth European Tour title when he won the Celtic Manor Wales Open by a convincing three shots.
Leading by two over Phillip Price with one round to play, Poulter hardly put a foot wrong in today’s final round and, even when he eventually did with bogeys at the fifteenth and sixteenth, it was too late for the players behind him to do anything about it.
As was the case in Kenny Perry’s win across the Atlantic at the Memorial, Poulter led from the start and although feeling drained by the lingering effects of tonsillitis, he remained focused to win the 350,000 euro cheque and move to 14th on the Volvo Order of Merit.
Australian Jarrod Mosley, who has struggled this season after a good start in Australia, was perhaps the most likely to put some heat on Poulter late in the round but any slight chance he had of catching the leader was extinguished with a bogey at the par five last. He tied for second with Jonathon Lomas and Darren Fichardt and earned 155,000 euros ($A275,000) for his efforts. Still, it is his best finish in Europe since his win at the Heineken Classic in 1999, which effectively kick started his professional career. He moves to 28th on this year’s Volvo Order of Merit
Peter Fowler continued his impressive year with another top ten, in fact his fourth in eleven starts this season. He has made all eleven cuts further emphasising what a fine return to tournament golf it has been over the last two years.
Richard Green was 15th, Terry Price 18th and Nick O’Hern 26th, Stephen Scahill 48th and Michael Campbell 65th.
