Watch as Ian Poulter’s 160ft putt for eagle sinks into the 9th hole during the first round of the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews after being booed on the first tee.
46-year-old and former world number five Ian Poulter shocked the world with his eagle putt on the 9th hole from 160 feet in remarkable fashion after beginning his round with boos.
Poulter’s reaction said it all, after he capped off a fantastic front nine in his bid to win a first major championship after coming closest in the 2008 Open behind only Padraig Harrington.
The Englishman was booed upon his arrival to the first tee as a nod to the recent controversy surrounding the new PGA Tour rival LIV Golf competition.
The LIV Golf Invitational is a Saudi-backed venture consisting of invitational tournaments with no cuts, shotgun starts and a $255 million prize fund. It is being fronted by retired golfer Greg Norman, the two-time Open champion and former World No.1.
In typical fashion, it looked like the crowd had invaded Poulter’s headspace as he hit a brutal snap-hook and the ball almost travelled out of bounds on a hole with one of the biggest fairways in the sport.
Poulter, who is still at a price of +20000 to win this year’s Open championship, finished with a round of 69 and three-under-par after a promising day on the Scottish links.
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