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Poulter looking to ride momentum to the Ryder Cup
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Poulter looking to ride momentum to the Ryder Cup

Ian Poulter is looking to do Padraig Harrington a favour as he aims to maintain his recent momentum over the weekend at the 2021 WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational.

Ian Poulter

The Englishman recently recorded his best Rolex Series finish with a top five at the abrdn Scottish Open but currently finds himself on the outside looking in with regards to Ryder Cup qualification.

A second round 66 left the hero from the Miracle at Medinah in a strong position at TPC Southwind and he is looking to maintain his good form and avoid potentially taking up one of Europe captain Harrington's picks.

"I'm just looking forward to playing some nice golf," he said. "I've just got to keep doing what I'm doing. 

"I feel my game's been in shape for quite some time, I've been on a decent run of form and I just want to help Paddy out, I want to make that team, I really want to be a part of this Ryder Cup team.

"Just keep playing some nice golf and everything takes care of itself.

"He's got three picks. I would love not to be a pick and obviously right now it's in my hands and I would like to somehow take it out of his hands and obviously play my way into the team."

The 45-year-old has made just one bogey through 36 holes in Memphis and even then it came after a piece of bad fortune.

He got an unfortunate bounce off a tree at the ninth and had to go back to the tee and, despite hitting the same tree again, he found the green with his fourth and holed a 35 footer to keep the damage to one.

I just want to help Paddy out, I want to make that team, I really want to be a part of this Ryder Cup team

"It was a good putt," he said. "I mean, it was 35 feet. I was a little warm under the collar. I think I didn't really hit a poor tee shot at all. 

"I'm sure on Shot Tracker it just shows this out of bounds line way right but it clipped a tree only about three yards right of the fairway and, as we know, trees are quite firm and it took one of those very firm bounces and kept going right and continued to go more right and found its way to a position which was unbelievable, to be honest. 

"So I hit the same tee shot, hit the same tree and went right again and I managed to hit nine iron through a gap in the trees to 35 feet and I rolled it in. I would have said that was a good bogey."

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