Ian Poulter will miss competing in the 2016 Ryder Cup, out for the next 4 months as he recovers from a nagging foot injury that makes walking painful. However, that injury won't stop Poulter from using a cart at Hazeltine.
European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke announced Monday that he had appointed Poulter as his fourth of five allotted vice-captains for the biennial contest held Sept. 30 - Oct. 2.
Poulter has played on the 12-person European side five different times, including 2004 and from 2008-14. In that stretch, he has gone an intimidating 12-4-2. His Saturday fourball rally of five consecutive hole wins is credited with spurring the European side to its 2012 final day rally, known as the Miracle at Medinah, when the visiting team came back from a four-point deficit to tie the biggest comeback in Cup history.
The 40-year-old Englishman knew that he wouldn't make the team on points with his injury, and his current form, having dropped into the middle 80s in the Official World Golf Ranking, would make it a stretch for Clarke to use a captain's pick on him.
"When it became clear, given my current foot condition, that I would not be in a position to try and qualify for the team for a sixth time this year or indeed be able to justify a wild card pick, I was truly honored and delighted to be asked by Darren to be a vice-captain," Poulter said Monday.
“The best moments of my career have come when I have been wearing the blue and gold crest of Europe on my chest, knowing at the same time that the contest means so much to every European player and to every European fan, either in the crowd or watching back home on television."
