Ian Poulter is in the midst of a career resurgence. Second place in The Players Championship on Sunday ensured he'll retain his PGA Tour card and confirmed the Briton's revival. So, next month's U.S. Open looked to be timed perfectly to continue his ascent. Not quite, according to Poulter.
"I might not even try to qualify for the U.S. Open," the 41-year-old said, as quoted by The Daily Telegraph. "If I do go play Wentworth, there are huge world-ranking points available. But I don't know."
Poulter is considering entering next week's BMW PGA Championship in Surrey, England, an event he has skipped for the last three years. A successful week at Wentworth could see Poulter climb into the top 50, and so automatically qualify for the U.S. Open ; he is currently 80th in the world rankings.
Finishing runner-up to 21-year-old Si Woo Kim on Sunday, on 7-under-par, brought a £700,000 (about $902,000) check and retention of his privileges for next season.
Read more: Who is Si Woo Kim, The Players Championship Winner?
Poulter's standing in the game has changed drastically. A miscalculation by the PGA Tour led the Briton to believe he didn't have enough points to retain playing privileges, but the mistake was spotted by the wife of a fellow player.
The Englishman had plummeted down the world rankings over the past two years, falling as low as 197th in the world. A foot injury kept him out of competition for five months in 2016, and added to issues off the course.
According to the Telegraph 's report, Poulter closed his IJP design business in March and has had other problems that he has kept private.
"The last 18 months have been the toughest stretch of my career," he added. "I'm still working through some things. But I've reached 75 percent and playing good golf takes care of a lot of that.
"It has been miserable. When you take a break for several months, your world-ranking plummets. I missed a Ryder Cup. I was having to chase to keep my Tour card."
So Poulter is considering taking a break, missing out on the Open at Erin Hills. He said he will rest this summer, likely in England, where his wife Katie and his four children will be.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
