Friday 14 August 2020 06:39, UK
Ian Poulter has revealed how he suffered a serious injury scare on the eve of the 2012 Ryder Cup, and that he watched Arsenal's FA Cup victory while playing in a WGC!
Poulter made some startling revelations during a Q&A with the PGA Tour, with some questions sent in by Sky Sports Golf viewers, and he admitted that a freak accident while playing table tennis could have scuppered the Miracle at Medinah.
After reiterating his desire to captain the European team in the Ryder Cup when he feels he can no longer contribute as a player, Poulter was asked: "What is the best behind-the-scenes story he can reveal" from his six Ryder Cup appearances, five of them on the winning team.
Poulter resisted the urge to spill the beans on various drunken antics while celebrating a victory in the contest, but he did recount how a friendly game of table tennis in the team room could have had dire consequences at Medinah.
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Playing with Sergio Garcia against Mr and Mrs Peter Hanson on the Thursday evening, Poulter attempted an ill-advised diving recovery shot and caught his left heel on a chair, resulting in a sprained ankle.
"I've gone down, and I've stayed down," said Poulter, who immediately retired to his room to apply ice treatment to his ankle while considering the awful prospect of informing captain Jose Maria Olazabal of the circumstances of how he sustained his injury.
Fortnately, he recovered in time to take to the first tee on Friday morning, partnering Justin Rose to victory over Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker, and Poulter went on to win all four of his matches, including his memorable Saturday fourballs performance in which he birdied the final five holes to trigger Europe's monumental comeback from 10-4 down.
And, being a passionate Arsenal fan, Poulter was then asked if he was able to watch the Gunners overcome Chelsea to win the FA Cup at Wembley earlier this month. And he did watch the last 20 minutes, despite being in action at the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational.
Playing alongside Tyrrell Hatton in the third round, Poulter viewed the final 20 minutes of the match on his mobile phone while playing the first and second holes (he parred both!) at TPC Southwind in Memphis.
"That probably gets me in a load of trouble, but hey ho!"
Watch the video above to see Poulter's revelations on the 2012 Ryder Cup and how he saw Arsenal win the FA Cup...
