The golf channel ignited controversy when they posted a short clip, tacitly endorsing a young prodigy. The fact that the 19-year-old linksman, who plays for the Florida Gator’s Men’s Golf team, was the son of a famous LIV golfer, irked many. Netizens felt Golf Channel should have turned to someone else if they wanted to inspire young and upcoming golfers.
They tore into the young golfer to point out that, coming from a privileged background, he had no right to lecture on the importance of hard work. But the young linksman found a vigorous defender in his father, who took the matter into his own hands to shut down the critics. Slamming them as “jealous” of a young guy, the veteran golfer wrote a lengthy retort to all the “pathetic” haters.
LIV Golf Pro defends his son’s hard work and commitment
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Brushing aside his hard work, the detractors insinuated that, by virtue of being Ian Poulter’s son, the teenager got it all easy. The whisper was that Luke Poulter got more attention because he was a Ryder Cup legend’s son, not because of his own charisma. The veteran golfer replied to all these and put up a screenshot of his comment on his Instagram story.
Taking a jibe at the critics, Ian Poulter commented on the post, “I’m truly honored so many of you have taken the time to chime in here and throw insults and poor comments to a young man starting his own journey.” Addressing the fact that Luke Poulter had the privilege of being Ian Poulter’s son, the veteran golfer countered, “So many children who play golf come from a privileged background.”
Commenting further on the teenager’s upbringing, the 12-time European Tour winner wrote that since he was playing in different tournaments, his son didn’t get that much time to spend with him. Moreover, since the three-time PGA Tour winner was away, young Poulter couldn’t attend many junior golf tournaments. In addition, his son practiced mostly on his own, as he didn’t have a coach.
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However, many pointed out that the Majesticks GC captain himself is PGA-qualified. In a sharp retort, the British golfer wrote, “I am PGA qualified, like 29,000 other PGA Pros in America.” Notably, there have been many father-son duos in golf, but only a handful of them have measured up to their father. In the end, he left a short message for his son. “Go be my son and ram these where the sun doesn’t shine.”
Ian Poulter is seemingly proud of what his son has achieved so far. Last December, Luke Poulter won his first amateur title at the Williow Cup in Alabama. Eight months later, he accompanied his father to the International Series. Not as a caddie, but as a competitor.
When Ian Poulter and Luke Poulter faced each other on the green
In late August, the father-son duo played together at the Asian Tour’s International Series event in Newcastle. The teenage Poulter was competing in his first professional event. While Dad Poulter finished in the second spot, his son, despite missing the top-10 finish, impressed on his debut as he finished tied for the 22nd spot.
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The 47-year-old golfer was seen clapping for his son after he made the cut. Writing on his Instagram profile, Poulter wrote, “Never been more proud to play a tournament with Luke.” The exuberant veteran further added, “Dad goal moment.”
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If teeing up with his son was a dad goal, coming to defend the young golfer amidst vicious attacks is surely another moment both of them would be proud of. Ian Poulter is ticking off all the checklists of a caring father.
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