Ian Poulter contrived to turn The Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open into a one-man show before showing the generous side of his nature and putting the tournament back in the melting pot going into the final round at The Celtic Manor Resort.
With five holes of the third round remaining, the first and second round leader had opened up a commanding six stroke gap at the top of the leaderboard with the assistance of five birdies and an eagle after an exhibition of flawless golf.
It appeared that the Englishman was in danger of running away with the tournament before the eyes of the record Welsh crowd urging on their own favourite, Phillip Price. However the vagaries of the game struck Poulter between the eyes as he bogeyed the 14th and 15th then double-bogeyed the 16th to let a number of players back into the fray.
In the end, Poulter steadied the ship and signed for a four under par 68 and a 16 under par total of 200, two clear of Price, who also carded a 68 and three in front of Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson.
Poulter, who took up the running on Thursday and has never looked back, birdied the first hole then eagled the second from five feet before turning in 33 helped by a three iron to five feet at the ninth. A chip-in at the 11th and further birdies at the 12th and 13th saw him soaring clear at the top of the leaderboard.
In fact, Price had to match Poulter’s birdie at the 13th to prevent the gap becoming a yawning chasm of seven shots. Even so, Poulter found himself six clear of the field and without a care in the world.
That changed dramatically as he bogeyed the 14th the 15th before driving into the bunker at the 16th and overshooting the green with his next shot. Ultimately he needed to sink an eight footer for a double bogey six.
At the last, Poulter found a desperate lie 54 yards from the green in two and smashed a full lob wedge onto the green to three feet for a birdie four, so restoring the two stroke lead over Price which he held at the start of the round.
He commented: “I thought it was a good day, to be fair. Obviously dropping a few shots at the end has given some hope to a few others but the way I am actually playing and striking the ball is good. Today was the best I’ve hit it all week so I feel happy.
“If I play golf tomorrow like I have over the past three days someone is going to have to shoot something extra special to beat me.”
While Poulter produced all the fireworks, Price quietly went about his business, picking up four birdies and not dropping a shot in his 68 to move to 14 under par and finish the day where he started, two shots behind Poulter.
“I am pretty pleased with four under,” said Price. “It was not very exciting out there, pretty much the same as the rest of the week. Rather than making a lot of birdies I am not making many mistakes.
“I would have liked to have made a lot more birdies today and made it more exciting but it didn’t happen. Just a quiet day especially watching Ian who was holing everything and doing all sorts. But then Ian made a couple of bogeys at the end to let us all in with a chance tomorrow.
“If I was to win tomorrow it would be fantastic. I have only won twice and that is something I need to alter for myself. I have accumulated decent money but I want to be a winner, become a champion.”
One player who has become a champion this year is Fredrik Jacobson who has won both the Omega Hong Kong Open and Algarve Open de Portugal. Once again he showed his true potential with an eight under par 64 to move to 13 under par as he chases his third title of the season.
His 64, however, was not the best round of the day, the honour instead falling to Jarrod Moseley who shaved two shots off the course record by posting a nine under par 63 to move to joint fourth place with Andrew Coltart on 12 under par 204.
