Ian Poulter could not help but laugh when an optimistic scoreboard operator tipped him to break the course record with six holes to go at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.
That positivity was somewhat merited on day two of the 2021 US PGA Championship as an eagle and four birdies in his first 11 holes had the Englishman at four under and within touching distance of the lead.
But the daunting closing stretch back into the wind on the Pete Dye designed layout is one of the toughest tests in the game, and Poulter dropped four shots in the last six holes.
That left him a highly creditable level par for the week after a 70 but Poulter - a man not known for a shortage of confidence - admitted the thought of going lower than Alex Cejka's 63 from the 1997 World Cup of Golf was not on his mind.
Well the first 13 holes you bank as many birdies and hopefully ones of these 🦅 before you turn into the winds. What a great test of golf Kiawah Island is. 👊🏼@PGAChampionship @espn pic.twitter.com/CYUMjipWDd
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) May 21, 2021
"I got on to the 13th tee and there was a scoreboard in the distance, and it was ironic," he said. "It says, ‘Ian Poulter, six under through 12 and chasing down a course record’, and I just started laughing to myself.
“Like, who in the world would write that and put that on a board with that last five holes to play?”
He added: "The first 13 holes you’re just trying to put something in the bank. When you’ve got this wind that closing five, it’s just not very easy."
