DUBLIN, Ohio – Ian Poulter hadn’t played Muirfield Village Golf Club since an undistinguished run of attempts that ended in 2009.
The English golfer lives most of the year in the United States, but his family – he and his wife have four children – have spent recent summers back home.
“It’s been 11 years since I’ve played here, which is quite crazy when I think about it,” Poulter said after shooting a 3-under 69 on Friday to finish 36 holes at 7 under in the Workday Charity Open. Poulter, 44, trails leader Collin Morikawa by six.
“I played here for a number of years and pretty much liked the place but never had a finish,” he said.
In five years of playing the Memorial, he didn’t finish better than tied for 30th. He has played the Wentworth tournament in England instead of at Muirfield Village.
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“Tournaments are tournaments and some have to be sacrificed with a global schedule that a number of us are playing,” Poulter said. “It’s a shame it happened that way. To be able to come here and play two weeks in a row is really nice.”
He described his round Friday as “hot and moist.”
Poulter birdied the 11th, 12th and 13th holes to get to 8-under par. He flirted with disaster on 17 before making a 12-foot putt for bogey.
Poulter said he feels refreshed after not touching a club for much of the COVID-forced golf shutdown.
“Even though I didn’t hit balls for seven or eight weeks, I hit enough,” he said. “Then when it was practice time, I felt good because I felt a bit stronger, felt a bit fresher, and my swing was more on line than what it normally is when I take a long layoff. I feel good about my game. I feel fresh, and I’m holing a few putts, and it’s nice to see a few putts go in.”
Reed rallies
Patrick Reed struggled to gauge the speed of the Muirfield Village greens early, but he figured it out late. The 2018 Masters champion birdied four of the last six holes to finish with a 2-under 70 and stands at 6 under through 36 holes.
“I felt like I dialed down the speed pretty well on the putting green this morning,” Reed said.
But he hit what he thought was a good putt on No. 10 – his first hole – and it went more than 8 feet past the cup and he bogeyed the hole.
“From there I just kind of seemed a little timid on speed,” Reed said.
Eventually he told himself he needed to make some putts.
“So I was able to be a little more aggressive and more fluid with my stroke, which is kind of the biggest thing for me,” he said. “Don’t rush your stroke and just kind of be fluid with it.”
Armour, Spieth struggle
Ohio State product Ryan Armour didn’t expect to make the cut after his second consecutive even-par 72. The projected cut when he finished was 1-under par.
Armour said he struggled off the tee, which is normally a reliable part of his game.
Something else was missing – a sizeable Buckeye rooting section for the 1999 grad because of the ban on spectators.
“It’s eerily silent at all these events,” he said. “Especially coming here, being an Ohio State alum, I miss it. I definitely enjoy the interaction with the crowds and the ‘Go Bucks’ and the ‘O-H’s. I just hope in the near future we can get back to normal.”
Jordan Spieth is another prominent name in danger of missing the cut. He seemed safe to survive for the weekend with a birdie No. 5 – his 14th hole – but then double-bogeyed No. 8 to bring him back to even par.
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