PGA Championship Friday, May 21, 2021 Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA The Ocean Course at Kiawah Ian Poulter Flash Quotes would say the average is 4-over minimum, I would think. It's just playing that tough. THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Ian Poulter. Ian posted a second-round 2-under par-70 today. He's straight Guys are going to be hitting it in the tall grass on the even par for the championship, currently tied for 23rd. beach, taking penalty drops, and hitting it in the water on 17. It's just intense. It really is, and that's from an up tee. Really played well on the front nine, kind of really riding the We're up teed on that last five for a very good reason, and wave there, and then you hit the tough holes, but overall it's still playing that tough. really solid day for yourself. I mean, I looked at the board and Phil got off to a great IAN POULTER: Thank you. Yeah, the first 13 holes you're start, as well, only dropped a couple coming in on that last just trying to put something in the bank. When you've got stretch, which is under par, really. It's a tough test. this wind, northeasterly wind, that closing five, in very slightly from the left, it's just not very easy. You're aware of Q. You were 6-under at one point, but do you think a that going out, the first few holes are kind of in, but they're 6-under score is even possible out there today? relatively short. You can still kind of have a few chances going out. They turn downwind for the last few holes on IAN POULTER: Anything is possible. But you're going to that front nine, and the par-5 is super reachable, and need to play that last five in level par, which I really don't you've got some opportunities with wedge in your hand. see happening.

10, 11, play okay, providing you hit decent tee shots, and I got on to 13 and there was a scoreboard in the distance, the last five holes have probably been shortened by 200 and it was ironic, it says, Ian Poulter, 6-under through 12 plus yards. So even with that -- moving us forward that far, and chasing down a course record, and I just started it's a brutally difficult finish. Straight in, very slightly at laughing to myself, like who in the world would write that times just off the left, and you're aiming at targets which if and put that on a board with that last five holes to play? you pull it very slightly, you're in the dunes, and if you cut it, Yeah, I don't -- if anyone does shoot 6-under par, then you're wet or on the beach. major respect. It's incredible.

It's intense. It's a long round of golf. There's a lot of Q. Do you think the late-early start times helped you at waiting. Standing on the 17th tee, it was not the best wait, all? Was it calmer at all this morning? to be honest. It's not an easy hole as it is, but when you chuck a 15-minute wait in there and you're staring 3-iron or IAN POULTER: Well, I think for the first three holes we some form of a hybrid to that green, it's very difficult. had it into an eight, ten mile an hour wind, which is really playable. You've got a par-5, short par-4. The 1st isn't To get in the house without spilling too much over those very long as well, so you have so many chances. It feels last five was okay. like you've got so many chances in that opening 12, 13 holes, and it's very gettable. The greens were really Q. You just described an incredibly difficult gauntlet receptive first thing this morning. It looked like they put of holes, but you still came in at 2-under. You must quite a bit of water on them, and as you make that turn feel really good about the effort and the outcome. through 13, it's pretty interesting. It's fun in a kind of sick way. IAN POULTER: Well, I was 6-under through 12, so whenever you're 6-under through 12 and you post 2-under Q. Given what you've said about those last five holes, par, it's frustrating, but if you take the average for the last if the forecast holds and it flips on Sunday, how will five holes today, I don't know what it's going to be, but I the dynamic change? Will they play that much easier,

107636-1-1182 2021-05-21 18:42:00 GMT Page 1 of 2 or will it still be a demanding stretch? THE MODERATOR: Ian, thanks. Go take a load off. I think you've earned it. Thank you. IAN POULTER: What, if they leave the tees where they are today and not chuck us back? Look, I hit a really, FastScripts by ASAP Sports really, really good drive off 18. I had 224 front, 250 pin, which I calculated at 290, with 40 yards of strong into the wind. I've hit my best 3-wood -- driver, 3-wood, and that's us on a very forward tee. So I'm not long, but even not being long and still hitting the fairway, that closing stretch is just hard. I'm sure they're going to one day squeeze one of those tees a bit further back just for a good laugh.

Q. I'll let you define the word any way you want, but did you enjoy yourself today?

IAN POULTER: I'm a bit more -- like yeah, I did. We want a good test, right? We always want to test ourselves to the highest level. I think this is a super clever golf course. I think it's a very good designed golf course, played in this wind, and to be 6-under on any course at any stage, you're generally playing some good golf.

And even as difficult as that last five holes is, it's interesting. It tests a different part of the brain that gets switched on, which I don't get to use that often.

Q. But you used it.

IAN POULTER: It's not that big anyway. Yeah, I ventured there for 20 minutes.

Q. Along those lines, when w you're going to a place and all you hear is how tough it's going to be, do you personally kind of relish that?

IAN POULTER: Yeah, because this very much is a shot-maker's golf course. You can't be one-dimensional coming into this golf course and expect to get round with ease.

When you know you've got kind of the game to test yourself to this level when it's playing as tricky as it is and you're having to maneuver shots from right to left and left to right and try to keep it under the wind, it's great. It's a straight, but hard golf course.

Even in the practice rounds, playing it off the backs, it plays even more difficult, so you kind of get the sense before Thursday starts, even though you know the tees are going to be moved forward because it's not going to be fit for TV if we play it right off the backs on those closing five.

You already know by Thursday what you're going to get, especially in this wind direction.

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