Golf Events / Ralph Ellis / 26 November 2008 / Leave a Comment

Ian Poulter is a golfer for the big occasions who has grown in stature and temperament this year. So could fans' reluctance to embrace him be down to snobbery? asks Ralph Ellis.

Ian Poulter might be one of England's most colourful sporting stars, but you won't find him among the favourites in the betting to be the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year. In fact, you've got to trawl right to the bottom of the list to find him, where his odds to win the coveted trophy are [1000.00]. And don't expect that price to be cut, even if he and Ross Fisher become World Cup winners this weekend.

World Cup? Yes. While an England football team going to that event commands pages of coverage, and even the Rugby League whipping boys had their adventure in Australia well chronicled, golf's World Cup remains a minor event. Only the Daily Mail's excellent Derek Lawrenson is representing any of the tabloids at Mission Hills golf club in Shenzhen, China. And it's fair to say that our two bright young stars of the fairways can't expect any open top bus rides if they come back triumphant.

But Poulter and Fisher are taking the competition, which starts tomorrow, very seriously - not least fashion conscious Poulter who has made sure that he's created matching outfits for the pair of them to wear. "I am excited to be playing here for England and I want people to see that," he says. "Don't get me wrong. The last thing I am going to do is ask Ross to wear a pair of trousers so outlandish he feels uncomfortable. But we're going to be matching, so people can see we're trying and we're part of a team. We're both really excited by the competition."

Poulter has had a year of extremes, failing to make the cut one week while playing brilliantly the next. But what he has consistently proved throughout 2008 is that when he's turned on by a tournament he can rise to the challenge. Remember that last green putt he sank at The Open when he believed he was rolling in the winning shot? And what about his performance at The Ryder Cup, when under the pressure of controversy over his place as one of Nick Faldo's wild cards he finished the top European points scorer?

It's strange how both Poulter and Fisher have yet to be embraced by golf fans. And you wonder if it's a form of snobbery. While the likes of Justin Rose and Colin Montgomerie had big family advantages to start learning the sport, both Poulter and Fisher came through the hard way. Poulter worked as an assistant club pro and in a market while he spent hours practising to win his tour ticket. Fisher got his chance because he won a scholarship to Wentworth. His first encounter with Tiger Woods was collecting practice balls for him on the range.

Together they could be a strong pairing for this event, though, because while Poulter will be inspired by the occasion, Fisher has been in form. It's only a few weeks ago he played the front nine of the Old Course at St Andrew's in 31. It makes the pair of them a value bet at [6.8] to be World Cup winners, and a fair punt at [2.2] to finish in the top four. Sweden's Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson are [5.4] favourites, Scotland have Colin Montgomerie and Alastair Forsyth and are [32.0], while the Welsh pairing of Bradley Dredge and Richard Johnson are [75.0].

Five things you might not know about Ross Fisher

1. Born in Ascot in 1980 he was given toy golf clubs at the age of three and got obsessed with the game

2. When he was 13 his stepdad Keith spotted an ad in the local paper for scholarships to Wentworth Golf Club and Ross came top of 30 lads who went for it

3. He earned his tour car in 2005 and in his first season won a £40,000 Jaguar for a nearest the pin contest. He's since sold it because he's sponsored by BMW

4. His dramatic improvement this year came after going to Holland to work with putting guru Paul Hurrion

5. He won this year's European Open at the London Golf Club in Kent without playing a practice round because he took his wife Jo for a birthday day out at Wimbledon instead.

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