Poulter wins World Match Play

Ian Poulter has just won the World Match Play at the very hilly Finca Cortesin course in Spain 2&1, in what I thought was a sloppy final, really not befitting the #1 spot in the world, and certainly not up to the standard that Luke Donald has set for himself in matchplay

The turning point came on 15, when Poulter missed the green with a 4 iron, bladed his chip and made bogey 5. Donald was on the back fringe, needing a 2 putt to square the match and he rolled the first past then horse shoed the 3 foot return out.

Then on 16 both players  had wedges in their hands for their approach, Luke pulled his left and long 25' but Poulter hit his stiff to go dormie 2.

Poulter ended up making a 7 footer for par on 17 for the win, and he and Luke now get on a plane together with a bottle of bubbly and head back to Wentworth for next week's BMW PGA championship, on the same Burma road course that made this tournament famous when it started as the Piccadilly World Match Play back in 1964

It was a single knockout event then until the round robin format change that they played this week which certainly provided a feast of golf.

Donald has been battling a sore throat this week and I tweeted earlier today that he didn't look too happy, his body language was very negative at times, and in his green side interview right after his win, Poulter said "it's been a long week, I think we are all a bit fed up"..

He took 65 shots over 16 holes (I didn't count a hole he was conceded) so probably shot 74, Poulter took 60 shots over 16 holes (he took at least 6 on the hole he conceded) so probably shot 71, as I say it was a sloppy final, neither guy had their A game, but Poulter just made a few key putts, Donald missed that 3 footer and that was the difference. Keep in mind though in his last 53 events, Luke Donald has been in the T10 27 times

Finca Cortesin is a dramatic, hilly course, certainly a challenge to walk for players and spectators, the players seem to be supportive of it, but it seems to lack the drama that was so much a part of Wentworth all those years..

Maybe I am just looking back through rose coloured glasses..For full results of the week click on European Tour on the right side of this page

Note: Poulter as you know is the best dresser in pro golf and he has a ball marker to match. Made of platinum with his kid's names engraved on it in diamonds, he lost it somewhere on the back nine, and the European tour dispatched a staffer in a cart and to Poulter's relief he found it !!

Here are the projected world rankings  1.Westwood 2 Donald 3 Kaymer 4 Mickelson 5 McDowell

Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles