Ian Poulter slams ‘stupid’ American golf fans in passionate rant: ‘I want to taser them’
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Ian Poulter has never been shy about winding up American golf fans – and now the LIV Golf star has poured even more petrol on the fire with a rant that will only cement his status as the Ryder Cup villain the US loves to hate.
Ian Poulter was the scourge of Team USA for two decades, delivering clutch Ryder Cup points and revelling in the hostile receptions he got on American soil. Now, with his Ryder Cup playing days over, ‘The Postman’ has delivered fresh fire at US galleries – and his choice of words will not be forgotten anytime soon.
In a SPORTbible YouTube video with Tyrrell Hatton, Poulter was asked whether American fans are better than European ones. His glass slid straight to ‘strongly disagree’, joined shortly after by Hatton’s. But for Poulter, it was an opportunity to get a few things off his chest…
“I don’t even know where to start,” said Poulter. “I mean, f***ing ‘mashed potato’ and all that bull**** that you hear is madness. ‘In the hole! Get in the hole!’ It’s a 600-yard par 5 you f***ing idiot. I actually just want to borrow the taser from the security guard – just to let one go per hole would be amazing. Imagine that… you’ve got one taser per hole. That would be awesome. How good? Right between the eyes. Have it! It’s not heckling; it’s just complete and utter embarrassing stupidity.”
Poulter went on to draw comparisons with golf fans in other countries.
“We don’t get that at The Open Championship,” he said. “You don’t get it anywhere [else]. It’s only in America that the stupidness comes out. It’s just so annoying. There’s no need for it. Our fans, when they come and watch golf, are very respectful.”
Poulter did insist that he was “Not completely dissing the American golf fans, because the atmosphere in America is amazing,” though one feels that won’t quite make up for what he’d said moments before.
Poulter and Hatton also felt that American golf fans don’t always know good golf when they see it.
“There are a number of times in the States where you could hit 4-iron to say 15 feet, and that’s a great shot, but no one up at the green has clapped,” said Hatton. “If you can’t see where the ball has finished, you thought you’d missed the green. You get up there and you’re like, ‘F*** me, this is a tough crowd!’”
Poulter agreed: “You walk up on the green and you want to give yourself a clap. ‘Was that not good enough?!’”
Poulter’s Ryder Cup playing days are almost certainly over, and his resignation of DP World Tour membership seems to have kiboshed what would have been a near-certain future captaincy role (although Poulter himself hasn’t given up on that). But if he is brave enough to make an appearance at Bethpage Black this week, it might be wise to disguise himself as something other than a postbox.
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Ian Poulter slated American golf fans in a passionate rant ahead of the Ryder Cup.
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Ian Poulter is a Ryder Cup legend – but perhaps not if you're an American golf fan.
