Poulter aims for ranking rise in Phoenix

AFTER becoming a father for a fourth time last week, Ian Poulter starts his season at the Waste Management Open at TPC Scottsdale today.

“Life can’t get better,” Poulter told his 1.2 million followers on Twitter as he posted pictures of son Joshua, born at the Florida hospital named after Arnold Palmer’s late wife Winnie. “You could say I’m a very proud daddy. It’s going to be hard leaving to play golf.”

What would make the 36-year-old even happier, of course, is if he could kick off 2012 as he ended 2011 – with a victory.

Poulter’s win at the Australian Masters a week before Christmas – against a field including world No 1 Luke Donald – was a bright end to a season in which he also won the Volvo World Match Play in Spain, but failed to record a top-25 finish in any of the four majors. Not playing in January means he is outside the world’s top 20 again and has ground to make up in the Ryder Cup race, but his superb cup record will count in his favour if he ends up needing a wildcard.

This year Phil Mickelson can become the most-capped American player of all time by making his ninth appearance against Europe, but it has not begun well for the 41-year-old.

He finished only 49th at the Humana Challenge and missed the cut in last week’s Farmers Insurance Open, although it emerged afterwards that there was a family drama behind the scenes. The three-time Masters champion’s 10-year-old daughter Sophia fainted and suffered a small seizure at school and was in hospital for tests as he shot an opening 77. She was well enough to return to school the following day and Mickelson had a 68.

The story at Torrey Pines over the weekend focused instead on Kyle Stanley, who looked set for his maiden PGA Tour title when he led by three on the final tee. But he spun his third shot to the long 18th into the water, three-putted for a triple-bogey 8 and lost a play-off to fellow American Brandt Snedeker by three-putting again.

“Sunday night was tough,” the 24-year-old admitted. “There were tears, there was disappointment. I think there was a little bit of shock too. But we’ll get back in the saddle and I think I’ll be better for it. I did way too many good things to dwell on one shot or one hole or one putt.”

And back after a week off is Scotland’s world No 34 Martin Laird, boosted not only by a runner-up finish in Hawaii last month, but also his third place in Pheonix last year. Laird had closing rounds of 64 and 65 then to be only two behind winner Mark Wilson.