Ian Poulter wouldn’t swap places with Lee Westwood this week at Close House, but it seems both are experiencing some kind of relief in the British Masters as they make a challenge for the title.
The two Ryder Cup stalwarts are still prize draws here in an event relaunched by themselves and their contemporaries Luke Donald and Justin Rose to put something back into the European Tour and the country that nurtured them.
Poults hosted the first year at Woburn, Donald the second year, and now Westwood is taking his turn on the hills of Northumberland just a few miles outside Newcastle. But despite going from “busy over the last year, very busy the last week and extremely busy the last three days”, Westwood is playing as if he hasn’t a care with no bogeys over two rounds, nine-under and three off the lead held by another Englishman of less vintage but growing reputation, Tyrrell Hatton.
Poulter meanwhile doesn’t envy Westwood his distractions but is continuing his renaissance this year to also stand on nine-under; also a good return for missing his 10th wedding anniversary this week.
A bouquet – fittingly featuring more than a few English roses – was delivered to wife Katie back in Florida.
“It’s usually at Ryder Cup time, which means some nice gifts but not much drinking gets done,” he joked. “I remembered, I have a calendar on my phone and there are alerts on there.
“I’ve got to say that it is a busy week and Lee’s doing great in position at nine-under, but I am enjoying this one not as host, to be honest with you.
“Lee’s experiencing what I experienced two years ago. It’s hard work, there’s a lot of things you have to do pre-event, lots of photo shoots and TV stuff and it does eat up your time. He’s doing well.”
Poulter would like to see the profile of the event raised further, however.
“We need to grab a big title sponsor, it’s a big event and a greta field, Sergio and Rory coming over to play, that adds to the field. We don’t have that many events over here.
“It works nicely moving to around to different places and it’s good to play in front of a different crowd. Obviously there a lot of people here who wouldn’t have been able to travel down to the two previous years down south.”
As for himself, he’s just “ticking off goals” until the end of the season.
“I’ve got some good golf still to play, I want to press forward,” he said. “Take care of top 50 in the world this week, get in the HSBC Champions (in Shanghai) which I’ve won before.
“If I could grab a win as well, and the way I’m playing I feel I can definitely do that, that would be amazing but we keep ticking the boxes and keep moving. Go one stage at a time.”
Westwood admitted that putting aside tournament host obligations for a few hours helped him.
“When I slipped my spikes on yesterday afternoon, it was a bit of a relief to actually be a golfer again,” he admitted. “I get to come up here and not have somebody asking where we’re putting a tee or a flag.
“I don’t mind everybody going out and making a lot of birdies,” he continued. “That’s what golf’s all about. I see too many tournaments where the pros are miserable and they have got their heads down because they are grinding away.
“I don’t mind that but I’d much prefer to come out and see birdies.”
He’s thrilled with the crowds, with large numbers showing up even during yesterday’s heavy morning rain.
“It was nice to stand on that first tee yesterday and see so many people here. And I haven’t made a bogey yet this week. Hit it pretty much where I wanted to all two days and, I like my position going into the weekend. I guess it’s nice for the host to be in contention.
“It’s an honor, obviously. I think it shows that I’ve had a good career, and I’m respected by the players. Obviously to get a great field like we did with Sergio and Rory coming was a bit of a pat on the back, as well, and I think it’s a good initiative.
“I like it when an established player hosts a tournament. I think it brings a bit more to that event.”
Hatton made hay in the worst of the rain to follow his first round 63 with a 65, good enough for a handsome three-shot advantage on the two old stagers and three more on nine-under.
Of the two main draws, Sergio found it hard to adjust from the green speeds of Georgia to Northumberland, and missed the cut by a shot, but Rory sailed through for the weekend with a 69 yesterday, recovering from a couple of early bogey to finish on four-under for the tournament.
