Ian Poulter faces a big task this week at the 2017 Valero Texas Open: He has to earn $30,624 in his final start of a major medical extension to maintain his full PGA Tour status for the remainder of the season.
Heading into last week's RBC Heritage, Poulter had two starts remaining to earn $144,669 or 118 FedEx Cup points to fulfill the major medical. It seemed like a top-12 finish would do that. However, a final-round 73 dropped Poulter into an 11-way (!) tie for 11th place, costing him the money he needed.
"I'm a little hot under the collar right now. I'm not disappointed I didn't get the job done today in terms of finishing where I needed to finish, but that today could have been a victory and I let it slip," Poulter said Sunday. "Three-putt is unacceptable, especially from the distances I was. I pride myself on being a good putter, but the flat stick didn't do what it needed to do."
Poulter now needs to finish somewhere in the top 35 or so at TPC San Antonio in his 10th and final start of the major medical extension, or he falls out of fully exempt status and remains on a top 126-150 standing or in a past champion standing, depending on the event.
