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Poulter strides ahead! | ||||||
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July 16, 2004; Source: AnyoneForTee Ian Poulter's patriotic pants prompt protests and plaudits | ||||||
It takes guts to go out and play championship golf in front of 30,000 people at the best of times, but you have to be really good to dare to wear the type of trousers Ian Poulter paraded in the first round of the Open at Royal Troon. "Golf should be livened up," says the 28 year old. "There are too many boring characters who don't have much spark apart from their golf game."Sporting a reversed cap and sunglasses (no doubt to block out the glare from his trousers), Poulter attracted more attention than any of the golf, and even put Ernie Els' hole in one in the shade. "It was good fun - people were smiling and laughing and I received a few wolf whistles. That's what it's all about, it's good to go out there and enjoy it and let the crowd enjoy it as well," he commented afterwards. The verdict on the strides was not unanimous, however. The R&A was inundated with telephone calls from irate TV viewers complaining about Poulter's attire. Whether they objected to the bright colours, or the fact that he had the Union Jack draped around his unmentionables remains... well, unmentioned, but Poulter just shrugged off any criticism. "They are a normal pair of trousers, it is just that they are pretty colourful," he countered. "I don't like the way most people dress on the golf course. I think it's pretty bland, pretty boring. My personality is not like that and I want to be slightly different." | ||||||
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Officialdom was also divided on the issue. The Captain of Royal Troon, Arthur Dunsmuir, had a quiet word with Poulter after his round, and asked him to be more restrained. "There is no specific rule regarding the banning of that style of trousers. However, having said that, we wouldn't want to encourage that type of attire," he said, after their meeting. But R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson was less forthright. "There is no clause in the rules which says anything about Union Jack trousers, and we shall not be asking Ian to change them," he said. Anyone For Tee sincerely hopes in the interests of hygiene that Ian will change his trousers before Sunday evening, but preferably for something equally stylish. Watch this space for further news of the Poulter pants. Editor's note: For the record, Poulter shot an even par 71, and his trousers were tailored by William Hunt of Savile Row. They will be auctioned for charity after the Open. | ||||||
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