Poulter Just Makes The Cut In Hong Kong To Keep Open Hopes Alive
Ian Poulter makes the cut on the number to keep hopes of qualifying for the Open Championship alive in Hong Kong
Ian Poulter's chances of qualifying for the Open Championship are still alive - but only just as he just made the cut by a shot at the World City Championship in Hong Kong.
The Englishman is playing in the Asian Tour event in the hope of a top-four finish that will book him a place at the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in July.
The 47-year-old won the Hong Kong Open in 2010 and had a solid start in round one, but found life a bit tougher on Friday as he just about made the cut.
Poulter carded a two-over round of 72 to finish level par after two rounds, and just about make the weekend right on the number as players on +1 ended up being cut.
A one-over front nine put Poulter in a spot of trouble, and a further bogey at 12 made the situation even more serious.
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He picked up a shot right away though on 13 before another dropped shot on 15 made for a nervous ending, as three straight pars secured his spot for the weekend.
It still gives Poulter a mountain to climb to book his spot at Hoylake though, with the local youngster Taichi Kho leading on -12 and fourth-placed Yoseop Seo sitting on seven under.
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Hong Kong's Kho produced a second successive 64 to put himself in pole position for the title and an Open spot - with the 22-year-old only making it onto the Asian Tour in January.
“Yeah, just a really great round of golf and I putted really well today,” said Kho. “And you know like I said yesterday, I’m just gonna go out there and try my best on every shot and that’s exactly what I did.
"And I was able to roll a few putts in and it added up to a total of 64, so very happy with the day.”
Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.
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