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“GAINESVILLE — UF golfer Luke Poulter had his father in a back-nine pickle and was not about to let a long-awaited win slip away.
Going head-to-head with Ian Poulter has ended in disappointment for far more accomplished golfers than his 18-year-old son, though perhaps few were more motivated.
“When we do play, it’s pretty intense,” Luke, now 20, told the Orlando Sentinel. “He feels it, too, because he knows how much I want to beat him.”
On a midsummer day in 2023, Luke finally got the best of his famous father in the game the two have shared since Ian and Katie Poulter’s oldest son was just 2.
Back then, Ian Poulter was still new to Orlando area, his family’s home since 2005, on his way to becoming one of the world’s top players and a thorn in the side of American golf during the biennial Ryder Cup competition.
These days, 20-year-old Luke Poulter is becoming a tough out at the college level and a big reason the Gators have risen to No. 8 in the national rankings entering this week’s SEC Championships, set for Wednesday-Sunday at Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Ga.
Poulter picked up his maiden victory at last month’s 45th annual Schenkel Invitational in Statesboro, Ga., to culminate his return from a back injury that sidelined him seven months in 2024 and fulfill the expectations he’s faced as Ian Poulter’s son.
“He sees a pro level, his dad or whoever, and always has tried to play up to that — that’s been difficult,” Florida coach JC Deacon told the Sentinel. “You just have the standard in your head of what it’s supposed to look like. It’s a process for everyone to get there.
“I do think it’s hard, but at the same time, there’s some advantages to it as well.”
Luke Poulter, who grew up in Lake Nona, has had access to a top swing coach, Daniel Gray, first-class golf course and a father with 17 professional worldwide wins. Whenever his game feels a bit off, Poulter knows where to turn.
“He’s probably the first guy I’ll send a video to check up on it,” he said of his father. “He’s seen my swing since Day One, so he knows my techniques, my DNA.”
Yet, Ian Poulter’s infamous, Ferrari-dominated car collection remains off limits to his four children.
“He’s let me drive one of them (a Ferrari FF), which was pretty cool,” Luke said. “One day, maybe I’ll take out another one, but it’s a little scary.”
Finding his stride with the Gators was a bit intimidating.
Luke Poulter arrived in Gainesville during the summer of 2022 to join a team on the cusp of winning the 2023 national title. Even so, he nearly cracked the starting lineup early in the fall until a flubbed of a routine chip shot on the 18th hole of his first qualifier turned him into a spectator the rest of the season.
“Being around that team, trying to grow off them was really cool,” Poulter recalled. “I learned a lot.”
Poulter began to apply those lessons as a redshirt freshman, recording five straight top-15 finishes — two to end the fall of 2023 and two more to open the spring of 2024.
But following a tepid close to the regular season, he experienced sharp lower back pain during a U.S. Open local qualifier.
Diagnosed eventually with a stress fracture in his L4 vertebrae, Poulter would spend the summer at the family home in England before returning to Florida to continue rehabilitating the injury and gradually returning to golf. Rather than rush the process, Poulter sat out the end of the fall season and returned to competition in late January.
A tie for sixth on Feb. 16 during the Gator Invitational a confidence boost he would carry to his win at the Schenkel and now into the postseason with a red-hot squad.
“I feel like we have a really good chance,” Poulter said. “We’re all finding our groove now.”
The Gators recently found one few teams have during the program’s storied history. In winning the Calusa Cup April 8 in Naples, UF posted a final-round score of 17-under par, tied for third all-time in program history.
“That’s saying a lot, with all the great players and great teams that have been here,” Deacon said.
Deacon’s 2023 squad, the school’s first national champion since 2001, was special. The 2025 Gators now have a chance to make their mark.
Senior Ian Gilligan is an All-American candidate with four top-3 finishes in five starts as the team’s No. 1 player, including his Gators Invitational win, while sophomore No. 2 Jack Turner, the SEC runner-up in 2024, has a team-leading six top-10s.
Rock-solid veteran Matthew Kress, who sits in the No. 4 spot, is the one holdover from the ’23 title team. Brawny true freshman Zack Swanwick of New Zealand could be the team’s best ball striker.
The powerful, 6-foot-3 Poulter, though, has provided an extra gear down the stretch of the season.
“We give him a hard time sometimes with calling him Prince Luke, but he’s a wonderful kid,” Deacon said. “He’s very nice, he gets along with everyone and he does things the right way. He works really hard, and he’s got really high goals.
“He wants to be best player in the world one day, and he believes he can do it. It’s exciting watching him progress.”
Poulter knows he has a lot to live up to: “I have a lot of shoes to fill.”
Ian Poulter, who turned professional as a 19-year-old working at a local club, is aware of the odds faced by the sons of successful pros, be it Gary Nicklaus, Guy Boros or Charlie Woods.
Yet, Luke Poulter aims to challenge his dad for years to come.
“We always talk about it, when you look at it in the long run, how many Tour sons have actually made it?” he said. “It’s hard. But at the same time, we all have the same chance. It’s just how much like effort and hard work you put into it.
“I wouldn’t change a thing. Hopefully one day I can live up to him and try and push on his legacy.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at [email protected]
Continue reading...
Going head-to-head with Ian Poulter has ended in disappointment for far more accomplished golfers than his 18-year-old son, though perhaps few were more motivated.
“When we do play, it’s pretty intense,” Luke, now 20, told the Orlando Sentinel. “He feels it, too, because he knows how much I want to beat him.”
On a midsummer day in 2023, Luke finally got the best of his famous father in the game the two have shared since Ian and Katie Poulter’s oldest son was just 2.
Back then, Ian Poulter was still new to Orlando area, his family’s home since 2005, on his way to becoming one of the world’s top players and a thorn in the side of American golf during the biennial Ryder Cup competition.
These days, 20-year-old Luke Poulter is becoming a tough out at the college level and a big reason the Gators have risen to No. 8 in the national rankings entering this week’s SEC Championships, set for Wednesday-Sunday at Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Ga.
Poulter picked up his maiden victory at last month’s 45th annual Schenkel Invitational in Statesboro, Ga., to culminate his return from a back injury that sidelined him seven months in 2024 and fulfill the expectations he’s faced as Ian Poulter’s son.
“He sees a pro level, his dad or whoever, and always has tried to play up to that — that’s been difficult,” Florida coach JC Deacon told the Sentinel. “You just have the standard in your head of what it’s supposed to look like. It’s a process for everyone to get there.
“I do think it’s hard, but at the same time, there’s some advantages to it as well.”
Luke Poulter, who grew up in Lake Nona, has had access to a top swing coach, Daniel Gray, first-class golf course and a father with 17 professional worldwide wins. Whenever his game feels a bit off, Poulter knows where to turn.
“He’s probably the first guy I’ll send a video to check up on it,” he said of his father. “He’s seen my swing since Day One, so he knows my techniques, my DNA.”
Yet, Ian Poulter’s infamous, Ferrari-dominated car collection remains off limits to his four children.
“He’s let me drive one of them (a Ferrari FF), which was pretty cool,” Luke said. “One day, maybe I’ll take out another one, but it’s a little scary.”
Finding his stride with the Gators was a bit intimidating.
Luke Poulter arrived in Gainesville during the summer of 2022 to join a team on the cusp of winning the 2023 national title. Even so, he nearly cracked the starting lineup early in the fall until a flubbed of a routine chip shot on the 18th hole of his first qualifier turned him into a spectator the rest of the season.
“Being around that team, trying to grow off them was really cool,” Poulter recalled. “I learned a lot.”
Poulter began to apply those lessons as a redshirt freshman, recording five straight top-15 finishes — two to end the fall of 2023 and two more to open the spring of 2024.
But following a tepid close to the regular season, he experienced sharp lower back pain during a U.S. Open local qualifier.
Diagnosed eventually with a stress fracture in his L4 vertebrae, Poulter would spend the summer at the family home in England before returning to Florida to continue rehabilitating the injury and gradually returning to golf. Rather than rush the process, Poulter sat out the end of the fall season and returned to competition in late January.
A tie for sixth on Feb. 16 during the Gator Invitational a confidence boost he would carry to his win at the Schenkel and now into the postseason with a red-hot squad.
“I feel like we have a really good chance,” Poulter said. “We’re all finding our groove now.”
The Gators recently found one few teams have during the program’s storied history. In winning the Calusa Cup April 8 in Naples, UF posted a final-round score of 17-under par, tied for third all-time in program history.
“That’s saying a lot, with all the great players and great teams that have been here,” Deacon said.
Deacon’s 2023 squad, the school’s first national champion since 2001, was special. The 2025 Gators now have a chance to make their mark.
Senior Ian Gilligan is an All-American candidate with four top-3 finishes in five starts as the team’s No. 1 player, including his Gators Invitational win, while sophomore No. 2 Jack Turner, the SEC runner-up in 2024, has a team-leading six top-10s.
Rock-solid veteran Matthew Kress, who sits in the No. 4 spot, is the one holdover from the ’23 title team. Brawny true freshman Zack Swanwick of New Zealand could be the team’s best ball striker.
The powerful, 6-foot-3 Poulter, though, has provided an extra gear down the stretch of the season.
“We give him a hard time sometimes with calling him Prince Luke, but he’s a wonderful kid,” Deacon said. “He’s very nice, he gets along with everyone and he does things the right way. He works really hard, and he’s got really high goals.
“He wants to be best player in the world one day, and he believes he can do it. It’s exciting watching him progress.”
Poulter knows he has a lot to live up to: “I have a lot of shoes to fill.”
Ian Poulter, who turned professional as a 19-year-old working at a local club, is aware of the odds faced by the sons of successful pros, be it Gary Nicklaus, Guy Boros or Charlie Woods.
Yet, Luke Poulter aims to challenge his dad for years to come.
“We always talk about it, when you look at it in the long run, how many Tour sons have actually made it?” he said. “It’s hard. But at the same time, we all have the same chance. It’s just how much like effort and hard work you put into it.
“I wouldn’t change a thing. Hopefully one day I can live up to him and try and push on his legacy.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at [email protected]
Continue reading...
