Ian Poulter won’t be in the field this year at the BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour’s flagship event. Spurred into action by an unfavorable column, the Englishman cleared up any confusion about his decision: he just doesn’t play well at Wentworth, the tournament’s annual venue.
Poulter took issue with a piece from the Daily Mail that called him out as one of several marquee players skipping the event next month:
Really Derek Lawrenson @MailOnline. What a load of Bull... Making assumptions again. Nothing to write about again?http://t.co/YHBnUz68AK
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) April 21, 2015
Poulter continued to tweet, offering up some concrete reasons for his decision to skip an event where he has historically performed poorly.
I've played 13 PGA's at Wentworth and had 1 Top 10. I've had 8 MC. Would Usain Bolt compete in a marathon. I didn't think so.... Enough said
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) April 21, 2015
Simple terms. I've won 19.11 world ranking points from poss 832 over 13 years. & for tied 3rd at Open in 2012 I won 28.50 Points.
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) April 21, 2015
“It’s a great tournament but my stats don’t lie,” Poulter added. “I can’t shovel s*** uphill forever.”
Poulter has had a role in the revitalization of the British Masters, and he will return to the U.K. to play in that event in October in addition to the Open Championship in July. Poulter will not be the only big name missing at Wentworth, as both Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia have confirmed they will not be among the field.
For Garcia, the decision comes because he committed to the Irish Open, played this year at famed Royal County Down and hosted by Rory McIlroy. With the world No. 1 running recruitment, the event - played the week after the BMW PGA - has already assembled an elite list of commitments that includes McIlroy, Garcia, Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer, Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler.