Poulter to make great strides in fashion stakes

Well, The Independent can today exclusively reveal that Poulter will be wearing something rather silly, just as he did during the first round last year when one wag reported that the Union Jack outfit meant that "Poulter hadn't come dressed for a golf tournament so much as a sea burial".

However, Poulter's career took on a new buoyancy after the stunt and everywhere the Ryder Cup man has played since he has cut a distinctive figure, if a rather wacky one. Throughout this 12 months, though, he has said that his wardrobe for the Open would be "quite spectacular".

This promise - or should that be "warning"? - was what triggered the bright minds at the BBC to come up with a competition for one of its viewers to design a pair of Poulter's trousers. Some 2,000 entries were received and the winner - Gavin Adams - met his mannequin at last week's Scottish Open to give the strides a test drive.

Poulter tees off at 12.58pm today and, although great efforts were being made to keep the get-up a secret until then, the whisper here was that the trousers would feature the claret jug on one leg and a list of the most famous champions on the other.

You never know, on Sunday evening, Poulter might even be able to append his own name. Always assuming that his mother hasn't already put his name on a label inside his waistband, of course.