“It’s what he does. Ian is capable of some really brilliant
streaks of golf,” said Justin Rose, whose closing 66 lifted
him into the same T- 3 group with Poulter, Carl Pettersson
and 2011 PGA champion Keegan Bradley. “Once he gets
that look in his eye, he’s tough to shake, but he probably
had too much to bite off trying to catch Rory today. Still,
credit for him giving it a go with that start.”
“Poults came out of the blocks today the way I wanted
to come out of the blocks,” said McDowell, who played
with Poulter Sunday. “He had the trademark strut going
on. He’s a hell of a player.
“I was kind of interested to see how he was going to
handle the back nine today,” said McDowell. “He played
very well on a difficult golf course. He stated his case for
the Ryder Cup team, and he’s the kind of guy we need on
the Ryder Cup team. It’s great to see him playing well.”
McDowell was paired with Poulter in the 2008 Ryder Cup
at Valhalla GC in a second-day four-ball match against
Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk, and they beat the Americans,
1 up. “It was one of the greatest games I’ve ever been
involved in,” said McDowell. “It was probably my favorite
Ryder Cup match of my life … well, except for the singles
a couple of years ago [when he defeated Hunter Mahan in
the final match at Celtic Manor in Wales].
“He brings heart. He brings emotion. He brings passion,”
McDowell said of Poulter, who has won match play titles in
the U.S. and Europe in the past three years. “He pumps a
lot of emotion into the team room. He personifies what the
Ryder Cup means to me and to European players.”
Poulter couldn’t bring his rally to the house, and that
ended up paving the way for countryman David Lynn,
playing in just his second major, to capture second place.
