LIV Golf’s Ian Poulter divulges why he decided to turn down a chance to qualify for the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troops
LIV Golf’s Ian Poulter has revealed he did not bother attempting to qualify for the 152nd Open Championship earlier this week due to having booked a holiday with his family.
Poulter, 48, could have entered qualifying at a number of different sites on Tuesday at West Lancs, Burnham & Berrow, Dundonald Links or Royal Cinque Ports, but he decided against it.
The European Ryder Cup hero will have now not played in the last eight majors following his move to LIV Golf in 2022.
Poulter, who finished second at The Open in 2008, is ineligible to compete at Royal Troon this month due to his slide down the Official World Golf Rankings to a current 611th.
He was once ranked fifth in the world.
Poulter told talkSPORT:
“My world ranking is not high enough to get into The Open Championship.
“I had the ability go and qualify and I didn’t.
“I was on holiday with the family in Switzerland instead.
“That is what LIV Golf has given me, a bit more family time.
“I still have got a busy schedule with LIV playing 14 tournaments.”
Poulter is back in LIV Golf League action at Andalucia, Spain, next week.
He has notched just one top-10 finish in nine LIV Golf events this season.
Although Poulter did not attempt to qualify for The Open, he did at least take heart from the fact his fellow Majesticks team member Sam Horsfield, who he mentored in his junior days, was one of four players to qualify at West Lancs for the final major of the season.
One LIV Golf player who did not qualify for The Open was Sergio Garcia, who came up shy for the second straight year.
Garcia threw a tantrum after being handed a slow play warning during the first round of Open qualifying.
Majesticks co-captain Lee Westwood is not eligible to compete in The Open either but co-captain Henrik Stenson is having won The Open at Royal Troon in 2016.
A total of 18 LIV Golf players will tee it up at The Open at Royal Troon from 18-21 July
