Despite having to fly halfway around the world last week to save his European Tour membership, Ian Poulter doesn’t think the Tour or its chief executive Keith Pelley should change its rules for determining who is and isn’t a member.
Two Sundays ago, Poulter fell out of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time since September 2006, leaving him not exempt for the WGC-HSBC Champions, an event he had intended to play to satisfy the European Tour requirement that its members play a minimum of 13 sanctioned events each season. One tournament, the Hong Kong Open, remained on the regular season schedule, but the tournament registration deadline had closed. Needing a last-minute sponsor’s exemption to get into the event and an assured 13 starts, Poulter got in when 2002 PGA champion Rich Beem gifted his spot to the Englishman.
Asked about the jaunt from Orlando to Hong Kong, Poulter said Tuesday at the Turkish Airlines Open that he doesn’t think the participation minimum needs to change.
““I am not going to sit here and turn around and say they need to be slashed to eight, nine or 10,” Poulter said. “Rules have had to be put in place to protect the tour and it’s difficult. … They are definitely looking into it and I’m sure they will make the right decision.”
Pelley, who assumed the job from outgoing head George O’Grady this summer, is giving thought to reducing or that minimum. Not only does Poulter’s case have some influence, but so does that of Paul Casey, who has eschewed European Tour membership in favor of focusing on the more lucrative PGA Tour. However, Casey’s decision leaves him ineligible to compete on the European Ryder Cup team, which is limited to European Tour members.
No matter what the magic number turns out to be, Poulter believes the privilege of representing Europe in the Ryder Cup should be reserved for European Tour members.
“You can’t expect the European Tour to roll over and allow all their guys to disappear,” Poulter said. “It really is the one thing that’s kept the European Tour together, the Ryder Cup.”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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