Ian Poulter is playing in the US Senior Open at Scioto Country Club this week.
Poulter qualified for the US Senior Open due to his participation in one of the last five Ryder Cups.
The 50-year-old LIV Golf star obviously doesn’t see as much of his old rivals nowadays.
However, Ian Poulter is mixing with them once again this week in Columbus, Ohio, as he attempts to win the US Senior Open.
Poulter damaged his hopes of captaining the European Ryder Cup team after joining LIV Golf back in 2022.
While missing out on the chance to do that will obviously be really disappointing for him, he does seem really happy with where he’s at in life right now.
Ian Poulter admits how players have treated him at the US Senior Open
Poulter spoke to reporters on Tuesday ahead of his debut on the senior circuit later this week.
The Englishman was asked how comfortable he has been at Scioto Country Club considering the fact that he hasn’t seen so many of the players in so long.
Poulter admitted he didn’t really know what to expect when he arrived on the property.
“I don’t know. It’s Tuesday. I arrived yesterday, and to be honest, I didn’t know what to expect,“ he said.
“Obviously I haven’t seen a lot of the guys for a long time. Not that I was concerned about meeting all the guys, but honestly I got here yesterday morning, and it took a long time to get to the driving range, I’ll say that, for great reasons.
“These guys I’ve competed against for 20, 26, 27 years. Some I hadn’t seen for 10 years. They’d already turned 50 and moved on. I’ve had great Ryder Cup matches against so many of the players that are here. So through time we’ve got strong relationships that have been there for decades.
“It kind of makes me feel old, but young in a way. My son Luke is competing and has competed in USGA events now, and it’s kind of like gone — it’s gone three generations of U.S. Am, he’ll be trying to compete in a few weeks’ time. He tried to qualify for the U.S. Open this year; he didn’t. He nearly got in last year. I’ve played U.S. Opens, and now I’m playing U.S. Senior Open.
“So it’s kind of cool to see the Poulter family spanning all three of these events. It’s been great. Just catching up with old friends means quite a lot. Just like old friends, school friends you haven’t seen for a long time, it’s pretty amazing.“
Ian Poulter reacts to compliment from Michael Jordan
NBA legend Michael Jordan recently admitted that he admires Poulter for his incredible competitiveness and fiery attitude.
“I’m not scared of anybody I mean but uh Ian Poulter… if I’m at any of his matches or walking down he finds me after he makes a good putt and it’s like, ‘man I didn’t do anything I like you. I support you’.
“I stay away from him when he’s walking when I’m walking I won’t go watch him.
“Those are maniacal eyes aren’t they, and we went from definitely winning at Medinah to crying driving home that we just got our butt kicked and that was because of Ian Poulter.“
Poulter responded when asked on Tuesday about what he made of Jordan’s comments.
“Look, I love MJ, and I get on great with him,“ he said.
“It was funny, I spoke to Mark Rolfe in — after 2012, and I said MJ’s been messing with me on the golf course, and he was like, really? I mean, he had no idea.
“I don’t think many people really had an idea. Mark said, I’m going to ask him for an interview. He’s probably never going to give it to me, and he did. He gave him a full interview.
“There’s a longer piece interview on Golf Channel NBC which was filmed. It’s pretty humbling, to be honest, to have somebody who I’ve looked up to for that long in sport say those things.
“But look, it was — I’ve loved playing Ryder Cups my whole career. I’ve loved what they meant to me, to Europe, to my family, to the best athletes in the world that obviously love intense sport.
So to have someone like him kind of pay a compliment, it means a lot.“
