'Milton Keynes fat kid' goes from wild card to main man

Two days into the 37th Ryder Cup and Ian Poulter has gone from a controversial wild card selection to Europe's main man. Of course, he always was Nick Faldo's main man but the captain's judgement had been questioned when a player of the stature of Darren Clarke had to be left at home.

On Friday, after defeat slipped away disappointingly in the morning, Poulter and Justin Rose gained the visitors' only win of a painful opening day. Trailing by three points overnight, the two Englishmen were trusted with leading the fightback yesterday morning.

Related articles

• Poulter leads Europe's Ryder Cup charge
• James Lawton: Fresh legs confirm Faldo's instincts

At the top of a foursomes order missing the likes of Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood, Poulter and Rose gained revenge for their opening-day defeat by beating Chad Campbell and Stewart Cink 4 and 3 in yesterday's re-match.

Although without the resting Rose for the afternoon fourballs, Poulter was then sent out again and will be the only European to play in all five series in this year's match. Now alongside Ulster's Graeme McDowell, this was the pairing that gave life to Europe's chances as America tried to snuff out their comeback from the morning.

Taking on Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry, Poulter birdied the first hole and two more on the front nine as they spent most of the afternoon as the only European pairing to hold a lead. On the back nine the match turned into a classic. After Poulter's birdie at the 10th earned a half, McDowell suddenly got into the act. McDowell and Furyk halved the 13th in birdies. McDowell hit a fine tee shot at the short 14th but Perry an even better one and the lead was back to one. Then Furyk hit his approach stone dead at the 15th and McDowell holed for another half. At the 17th, Poulter produced a superb three but Furyk again countered, the fifth time a hole had been halved in birdies. A sixth was required at the last as Furyk, like the major champion he is, claimed a four at the last but Poulter was up to the task, getting up and down and sealing a one-hole victory. Wild was Poulter's celebration but it brought his third win of the match, and the first of McDowell's Ryder Cup career, but vitally a win to give hope for the final day.

In the morning, Poulter, a man who knows his colours, was under no illusion as to what was required. "The key was to get blue paint on the board and let everybody see it," he said. After Rose's fine drive, Poulter's opening shot was the approach at the first which he almost holed. Four birdies in the first seven holes and the English were five-up.

"There was a lot of unfinished business from yesterday," Poulter said. "Today was flawless golf." On Friday a three-up lead had been dribbled away to a painful defeat to Campbell and Cink. The Americans fought back and three holes disappeared as another slide was on.

But the match was effectively sealed at the short 14th. Both pairings missed the green and were left with par-putts. Poulter was up first from 10 feet. He rolled it in, with an accompanying fist pump and the applause of his captain, just as Rose knew the "fat kid from Milton Keynes" would do. "I was thinking that just as he putted and, of course, he holed it," Rose said. "We know each other so well and that makes playing in the Ryder Cup together so special."

Cink needed to hole his from eight feet for the half but missed, a classic case of first in wins. Back to three-up, the end was in sight and came rapidly after Campbell drove into the trees on the right at the 15th. Attempting to find the green, Cink hit his approach into the water.

It is a truism of international team matches in golf that getting your colour on the board and then converting that pressure into points is crucial. By confirming their handsome win, Rose and Poulter set up Europe to win their first session of the match and heroics such as Henrik Stenson and rookie Oliver Wilson coming back from four-down to beat Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim.

Poulter is the most curious golfing character. There is the showman side but also the dedication to make the most of his abilities. As the pressure mounts, so he seems to respond. Holing that putt to finish second at the Open in July impressed Faldo so much he picked him as a wild card ahead of the likes of Clarke. "I guess there was a little extra pressure on me," Poulter admitted, not often so understated. "The last couple of weeks I took off prior to coming to the Ryder Cup, I worked hard," he added. "I think it is showing this week. I'm just happy to be part of a great team and I'm enjoying it."

Messages of support from the likes of Clarke, plus his team closing ranks around him, helped take away any lasting vestiges of the controversy that blew up when Faldo made his selections.

But it seems to be the undying faith placed in him by his captain that has inspired Poulter here. "I think Ian was under a lot of pressure this week, but in some ways that doesn't phase him," Rose said. "He was very conscious of the fact that he needed to go out there and produce or he would be facing a lot of criticism. That's why losing that first match yesterday hurt so much.

"I knew if Ian had something to prove this week, he was going to prove it. But I think he's justified his place on this team. And he's done that not just on the golf course but also in the team room. The guys do embrace him. He's a good laugh, he leads the banter and he's a valuable team member."

Results

Foursomes: Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell lost to Ian Poulter and Justin Rose 4 & 3

Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan halved with Miguel Angel Jimenez and Graeme McDowell

Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim lost to Henrik Stenson and Oliver Wilson 2 & 1

Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry beat Padraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson 3 & 1

Fourballs: Boo Weekley and JB Holmes beat Lee Westwood and Soren Hansen 2 & 1

Ben Curtis and Steve Stricker halved with Sergio Garcia and Paul Casey

Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk lost to Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell one down

Phil Mickelson and Hunter Mahan halved with Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson

United States lead Europe 9-7