Ian Poulter’s challenge for the PGA Championship suffered a setback when he double bogeyed the 18th to slip back to level par for the tournament here on Friday.
Poulter had started his second round at three-under par and with overnight leader Luke Donald in his sights but after a birdie at the par-4 first he had five bogeys and three more birdies before a seven at the last left him with a halfway total of 142.
Donald was seven-under par overnight, and although he immediately bogeyed the first none of the golfers out in the morning mounted a serious attempt to overhaul at the top of the leaderboard.
The Englishman then birdied the par-5 fourth to reinstate his two shot lead over Italy’s Matteo Manasssero and Johan Edfors of Sweden.
Ernie Els and England’s Ross Fisher both shot 68s early on to leave themselves one-over par at the halfway stage and Scotland’s Scott Jamieson had 69 to be the best of the early second finishers in the clubhouse on two-under par for the week. Poulter is no fan of the newly re-designed Wentworth and has a mediocre record at the course. His best finish in this tournament is a tie for 33rd in 2005.
On the 18th he watched his approach shot to the par-5 hit the re-modelled green and spin into the water hazard. He chipped on again and two putts left him licking his wounds as he singed for seven. As a youngster Poulter was a regular spectator at the big events on this course but he claims the new-look lay-out has taken the fun out of the game. “I decided to continue my love affair with this course!” Poulter told reporters after finishing his round.
“I have not had a great record here and I am disappointed. I have to rethink and see what happens. I don’t like this golf course there is a lot wrong.
“It was here as a kid where I watched all those great shots but we have lost that now. It is not fun.
“On the 18th I hit a near-perfect third shot which pitched on the green and spun into the hazard. For me they have turned it into a difficult golf course and not a fun golf course.” Despite his misgivings about the course Poulter – who indicated he would not be here if it was not such a prestigious event – said he has no intention of giving up on the tournament. He added: “This is the flagship tournament of the European Tour, we are playing for a lot of money and huge ranking points and someone has got to win it.”
