Martin Dempster: English golf ready to tee off golden era

Published on Monday 22 February 2010 22:28

IF WATCHING English success on a golf course sticks in your throat, then this could be the time for you to join you-know-who by taking an indefinite break from the game. Ian Poulter's splendid success in the WGC Accenture World Match Play Championship, after all, could just be the start of a golden year for our neighbours south of the Border.

It's 14 years since an Englishman last won a major – Nick Faldo's sixth such success coming in the 1996 Masters, four years after he landed the last of his three Open Championship wins at Muirfield – but don't expect great odds from any bookmaker about that barren run extending beyond August at the latest.

English golf is riding on the crest of a wave at the moment, Lee Westwood's win in the Race to Dubai at the end of last year having now been followed by Poulter's feat in becoming the first player from his country to taste success in a World Golf Championship event.

Westwood is the world No4, Poulter is now just behind him in fifth spot and, merely adding weight to my point, Paul Casey, the beaten finalist in Tucson for the second year running, is sitting at No6. Add in Ross Fisher at 21st, Luke Donald at 23rd and the ever-improving Oliver Wilson at 38th and it certainly marks quite a turnaround from a decade ago, when only Westwood was in the top 100.

Since bouncing back strongly from a mini-slump in his career, Westwood has been knocking at the door in majors, the man from Worksop just missing out on the play-off between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate in the US Open at Torrey Pines two years ago before letting an even better chance slip from his grasp in last year's Open at Turnberry. He's got the game these days to become a major champion, no question, yet, paradoxically, his biggest threat in that quest could well come from those aforementioned countrymen.

To many, Poulter has been a bit of a laughing stock since he arrived on the scene – he's hardly done himself any favours with some of his outrageous clothing, has he? – and certainly had everyone rolling about when, in an interview with one of Britain's top-selling golf magazines two years ago, he was quoted as saying: "Don't get me wrong, I really respect every professional golfer, but I know I haven't played to my full potential and when that happens, it will be just me and Tiger."

According to Poulter, that comment had been taken out of context, yet, judging by the way he has undoubtedly progressed over the last few years, the Florida-based player may well be destined to have the last laugh.

Poulter certainly isn't one of the world's best ball strikers, something I witnessed for myself as I watched him at close quarters when he played with Seve Ballesteros in the opening two rounds of the 2006 Open at Hoylake, where the Spaniard gave his younger playing partner a lesson in that department even though his game was a shadow of what it once was.

What he lacks in natural talent, however, is made up in terms of desire and determination and, having come close to winning a major when he finished strongly to secure second spot behind Padraig Harrington in The Open at Royal Birkdale in 2008, Poulter will feel confident about his chances of pipping Westwood in the race to end that barren English run.

He will also feel confident about his role in Colin Montgomerie's Ryder Cup team later this year and, while there may be 'previous' between the two of them, the Scot won't be worried about that in the slightest. His job is to win back that trophy and to do that he's going to need all his best players at the Celtic Manor Resort.

Like him or not and like this or not, Poulter is now one of the best players in the world, never mind just on this side of the Atlantic. Yes, he's brash and, yes, he's cocky. But, at the same time, he is starting to convince even the soundest judges that he might actually be as good as he thinks he is and Montgomerie, for one, will be looking for him to take up where he left off at Valhalla, where he was the highest points scorer on either side.

Casey, of course, will be another key man for the European captain and I believe he'll roll up in South Wales with a major under his belt – he's my tip for The Masters –, the former Walker Cup player having bounced back superbly from the rib injury that restrained him so badly in the second half of last season.

Donald, too, has the game and temperament to be a serious contender in majors this year and, if success does indeed breed success, then brace yourself for some loud squealing from the other side of Hadrian's Wall over the coming few months.

Langer continues to show German efficiency

IF THERE'S one player in the game who surely hasn't received the proper credit for his remarkable career, it's got to be Bernhard Langer, who, at the age of 52, continues to prove a shining example of German efficiency. Langer, a two-time Masters champion and former world No1, chalked up his ninth success on the Champions Tour at the weekend and did so in some style, holing out from a buried lie in a greenside bunker for an eagle to beat John Cook in a play-off at the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Florida.

"I've won a lot of tournaments around the world, but this probably ranks in the top three in my career," said Langer of a success made even sweeter by the fact it had come in front of the Boca Raton resident's family and friends.

Heck, it even had him leaping up down at the side of the bunker, high-fiving his caddie and punching the air in delight. He almost looked as though he was tempted to toss his club high into the sky, too, but the guy has bags more class than that, especially when he knew Cook still had a putt to stay alive.