Archive of posts tagged Sergio Garcia

Poulter at risk of relegation: future uncertain

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Bubba Watson

A registered letter with no return receipt was sent by the new CEO of LIV Golf, Scott O'Neil, to Ian Poulter. No exceptions: either The Postman places in the top 48 of the 2025 rankings or he's out of a permanent spot on the Saudi tour. With two events remaining in the season, Poulter sits in 51st place.

Ian Poulter, news

The former Ryder Cup star is playing the 2026 event in Chicago this weekend and in Indianapolis next weekend. His hopes are slim: in 2025, the Englishman has a best finish of 13th in South Korea. In total, he has earned 4.5 points in the LIV rankings. Chilean Niemann, the dominant player this year, has a remarkable 206.8.

Scott O'Neill has made things clear, trying to regain his virginity and get LIV players back into the world rankings (and thus back into the Majors). This year, his tour will be played solely on merit on the green. No exemptions.

No exceptions like twelve months ago when, for unspecified "commercial reasons," then-boss Greg Norman fished out Bubba Watson. The American professional, captain of the Range Goats team, finished the 2024 season ranked 53rd. The same treatment was reserved for South African Branden Grace.

More than a hundred professionals from around the world are participating in this never-ending playoff, all chasing a contract. Plan B involves winning the International Series, the minor circuit of the Asian Tour: too bad Ian isn't even in the top 100 today.

According to The Telegraph, the Englishman's contract with the PIF expires on August 24th, at the end of the Grand Team Finals in Michigan. If things go badly (or even terribly), the Englishman could be limited to being the manager or non-playing captain of his team, the Majesticks, next year.

The full Majesticks team: Sam Horsfield, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, and Henrik Stenson (Photo by Cliff Hawkins / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
The Majesticks are not doing well. Also on the team with Poulter are Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood. The Swede is currently 47th in the LIV ranking, while the Englishman is 46th. Both are on the knife's edge.

It's sad to think of the most bitter scenario: three giants of world golf (Westwood was once number one in the ranking) and of the Ryder Cup competing against each other in the Qualifying Schools for a place in the sun.

In this evolving scenario, the DP World Tour is standing by. Poulter, Westwood, and Sergio Garcia left Europe two years ago, slamming the door, complete with written resignations. Henrik Stenson went further: first he accepted the appointment as European Ryder Cup captain, then he moved to the circuit, a sworn enemy of the DP and PGA. That confrontation now seems a long way off, thanks to a struggling European circuit jostling for greater visibility and sponsorship. Three players like Ian, Lee, and Henrik would still be very useful.

Padraig Harrington dominates Major for over 50

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Ben Curtis

Ireland's Padraig Harrington dominated the ISPS Handa Senior Open, one of the majors for "over-50s," finishing with a 264 (67, 65, 65, 67, -16) on the par-70 Sunningdale GC course, in the town from which the course takes its name, England.

Padraig Harrington, results

In the tournament organized jointly by the Legends Tour and the PGA Tour Champions, Harrington took the lead in the second round and then controlled the situation, preventing his opponents from coming back. He finished with a 67 (-3, one eagle, three birdies, two bogeys), prevailing by three shots over American Justin Leonard and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, who finished second with 267 (-13).

Australian Scott Hend finished fourth with a 268 (-12), South African Ernie Els and Australian Cameron Percy in fifth with a 269 (-11), and New Zealander Steven Alker, who had led in the opening round, finished seventh with a 270 (-10). Emanuele Canonica, who finished 110th with a 146 (72 74, +6), made the cut after two rounds.

Padraig Harrington, 53, from Dublin, won his third Major title in his category (his second this year after the U.S. Senior Open) and his 11th on the PGA Tour Champions, where he currently plays. Before joining the "over-50" ranks, he won three career Majors, and, excluding those, three PGA Tour events and 12 European Tour (now the DP World Tour). His list of victories also includes one on the Japan Golf Tour, two on the Asian Tour (plus two combined with the European circuit), one World Cup (with Paul McGinley, 1997), and ten others around the world. For his achievement, he received a check for €381,190 out of a prize pool of approximately €2,427,000 (officially $2,850,000).

Pádraig Harrington, born August 31, 1971 in Ballyroan, is an Irish golfer who turned professional in 1995. His greatest achievement was a victory at the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie in Scotland. He retained his title a year later at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in England. At the 2008 PGA Championship, he edged Sergio Garcia and Ben Curtis by two strokes to win the tournament for the first time in his career and his third Grand Slam title.