Englishman Ian Poulter has gone from working as an assistant pro staffing a club golf shop to ranking as high as fifth in the world golf rankings. He is known for his riotous brand of clothing and his strong performances in Ryder Cup team play.
“Some people talk about the clothes I wear and say I’m an attention seeker. I don’t take that as criticism. I’m just doing my job. My job is to be happy on the golf course and perform as well as I possibly can. My job is to be a credit to the brands I represent. My job is to be as good as possible at getting more television time by playing excellent golf, because more television time means better value for my sponsors.
“A few months before my Ryder Cup debut at Oakland Hills, I had caused a bit of a stir at the Open at Royal Troon by playing my first round wearing a pair of Union Jack trousers. It was the kind of thing that I’d been wanting to do for a long time. I was bored with the clothes I’d been wearing until then. I didn’t feel comfortable in them. I didn’t feel they were me.”