England's miracle par inspired by Poulter
It may have been the par of the century, a freak of nature that included issues with sodden sand, casual water and the wonder of a miraculous putt. For England, it was symbolic of a great scrambling day in some of the worst conditions a professional golfer could expect.
It began when Ian Poulter’s tee shot at the 405-metre par-four at Metropolitan sailed into the traps that encroach onto the fairway down the left.
The ball found its way into water that had built up in the bunker in the heavy rain, and Poulter’s teammate Tyrrell Hatton was entitled to relief for his shot. The only problem was precisely where.
So they spent maybe 10 minutes with rules official John Paramor trying to work out a position in the hazard in which to drop, and ultimately Hatton played from a soggy bunker with a downhill lie, a dreadfully difficult shot.
He left it in the trap, which was unsurprising. But this time it was in even deeper water. After Poulter complained that the area seemed unplayable and Paramour told him that he needed to play, the Englishman chose to hit his ball. It was in two-centimetre-deep water at the time, and so were his feet.
Somehow, he fashioned his shot onto the green. Then Hatton bombed the long putt. It was the save that kept England in the cup.
Bulldog Poulter was remarkable on both the first two days.
On Friday when Hatton hit his tee shot way wide of the 10th (and smashed the tee marker in disgust), the Ryder Cup hero took a penalty shot and went back from the dreadful spot it was in, launched a short iron shot over the trees in his path, and onto the green.
Although they still made bogey, it was vintage Poulter, in the teams format that he so loves. He finished the day with a fine par-saving putt at the last. Hatton has not been at his best, but England remains alive at eight-under par, in a tie for third after Friday's 74.
Poulter said the conditions were in a grey area. ‘‘At what point does the golf course become unplayable? There wasn’t water on the greens, I guess it was in the hazard.
‘‘I'm sure someone will say, 'You shouldn't hit it in the bunker'. But you know...’’
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