|
Share this article:
Digg |
StumbleUpon |
del.icio.us |
Reddit
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Ticker) - Ian Poulter has reacted angrily
to a magazine article which claimed the Ryder Cup winner believed he
was the only player capable of challenging world number one Tiger Woods.
Poulter gave the interview, which will be used in March's edition of
Golf World, three months ago, while a section of the article was taken
from a brief interview while he was practicing at last March's Arnold
Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Florida.
"The trouble is I don't rate anyone else. Don't get me wrong; I respect
everyone who is a professional," Golf World reported Poulter as saying.
"But the problem is I haven't played to my full potential yet. And when
that happens it will just be me and Tiger."
But after carding an opening round 2-under-par 70 at the Dubai Desert
Classic which is currently being led by Woods, Poulter tried to put his
comments in perspective.
"I'm misquoted. It was taken out of context. The whole answer to the
question has been taken out of context," he said. "When you do an
interview three months ago, it's hard to try and go back in your mind
and think exactly what you did say and how the question was asked and
then you do remember and you have given an answer to a question that's
very lengthy and a small piece gets quoted, it gets taken out of
context and that's unfair, very, very unfair."
Poulter did not make an appearance at the course on Wednesday due to a
rib injury, but when he arrived at the course ahead of today's first
round he revealed he received support from Paul McGinley, who said, "I
know how you've explained it, and I see exactly what you've said. Many
other people don't."
Reports had suggested his fellow professionals may give each other a
pre-arranged signal on the driving range and disappear, leaving just
Poulter, a member of Europe's victorious 2004 Ryder Cup team at Oakland
Hills, and Woods to practice together.
"I'm talking about Tiger Woods, look how far Tiger Woods is ahead of
everyone else. I'm not rating somebody," Poulter said. "Tiger Woods is
so far in front and people want to get as close as they possibly can to
that. If you want to achieve more in golf, you look at one person, and
he is so far in front. He's so good.
"It would be a dream to see Tiger Woods and then me in the world
rankings as you look down, what's wrong with that? Is it being rude? Is
it being disrespectful to everybody else? I don't think so. I want to
get as close as I possibly can. As long as he's playing golf I'm not
going to get to number one, so number two is the spot."
Poulter admitted he was affected by the news of the article throughout
his opening round at the Emirates Golf Club, but he also said the
meaning of his comments had been lost.
"What I said was obviously not meant to say I don't rate anyone else.
What's been printed is a shortened version of how I explained it,"
Poulter said. "I have respect for everybody that plays golf. I play
against them week-in-week-out. They are my friends. That's not how it
was supposed to come out and that's not how I believe I actually said
that. If it's been published the way it has then it's a great shame."
While practicing at last March's Arnold Palmer Invitational, Poulter
was asked who he thought would win several tournaments throughout the
year and he responded by saying Woods would win the Masters while he
would win the year's second major, the U.S. Open.
But after admitting he was foolish to respond while he should have been
concentrating on practice, he admitted his comments were driven purely
by ambition.
"I'm not going to turn up at a golf tournament and not want to win, so
why should I say who is going to win a golf tournament, I might as well
say me," Poulter said. "That gets another quote printed, to turn around
and say that I'm going to walk away with the U.S. Open, well, that's
not fair either because that's not actually what I said either.
"Tiger is going to say himself and other players, if they are going to
answer the question honestly, should say themselves because they have
got a chance. It's not being selfish or disrespectful and that's what I
believe, and nor should I believe anything else because you just dampen
your confidence every single time."
|
.png)
