Poulter brings blend of flair, panache to the game

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Ian Poulter -- and his pink pants -- finished solo second in THE PLAYERS Championship.

There's never been anything boring about Ian Poulter.

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From his choice of coiffure to his choice of clothing to his choice of words, Poulter knows how to add a dash of spice to a sport that sometimes prides itself on its resting heartbeat.

As he said prior to the Ryder Cup matches last fall, "I'll bring flair, I'll bring excitement and I'll bring passion." That statement isn't just limited to that one week in Valhalla. It's the way Poulter conducts his business.

Check out his occasionally spiked-up hair style beneath his visor; it's not exactly what you would have seen stuffed under that hat worn by Lord Byron Nelson.

Look at the things that come out of his closet. There's enough pastel there for a Salute to Monet. Remember back to 2004 when Poulter had a special lineup for the major championships: pink pants for the Masters, a Union Jack on his Open Championship outfit, and stars and stripes for the PGA Championship.

Then there's his mouth. Remember in 2008 when he confidently pointed to himself as the only player in the world capable of challenging Tiger Woods for the sport's No. 1 ranking. He had a lot of explaining to do that time and went out of his way to make sure Tiger wasn't offended. (Poulter was no doubt aware of the beat-down that Tiger applied to Rory Sabbatini at Quail Hollow in 2007).

"I've always believed in my own ability," Poulter told The Daily Telegraph in December. "People try to knock sportsmen down, but if you're strong enough internally then you can overcome the critics."

But these days no one is talking as much about Poulter's hair or his clothes. That's because the state of his golf game is as good as anyone's on the PGA TOUR. The only thing missing from his resume is a win, but that can't possibly be too far away given this season's results.

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Ian Poulter gives the thumb-up to fans at TPC Sawgrass during the final round.

In seven TOUR events, Poulter has missed only one cut. In the other six events he's not finished worse than a tie for 20th. In his most recent four events Poulter has gotten better and better: a tie for 20th at the Masers, a tie for 13th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a tie for fifth at the Quail Hollow Championship, and a solo second at THE PLAYERS. A victory must be waiting around the corner, possibly even this week at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, where he tied for third in 2007.

He's currently 24th in the FedExCup points race and No. 18 in the Official World Golf Rankings. The results build on last year's career best season of 2008, which included a second-place finish at the Open Championship and a 4-1 record in the Ryder Cup.

But while Poulter has never played better since becoming a professional in 1995 or joining the TOUR in 2005, his competition among other international players has never been fiercer. The 16 players standing between Poulter and Woods in the Official World Golf Rankings include fellow Brits Paul Casey and Lee Westwood, Spain's Sergio Garcia, Sweden's Henrik Stenson (recent PLAYERS winner) and Robert Karlsson, Australian Geoff Ogilvy, Ireland's Padraig Harrington, Fijian Vijay Singh, Colombia's Camilo Villegas, and South Africa's Ernie Els.

Poulter will need to fight his way through that impressive passport line before he can get close enough to see the scars on Tiger's knee.

While his game is progress, so is his fashion business. His clothing line, Ian Poulter Design, has produced shirts and pants that replicate his personal taste in clothing. There are plenty of tartans and stripes, and more bright colors than you'd find in a 5-year-old's box of Crayolas. The company's mission statement is to "create high quality, unique, funky and distinctive apparel that fuses functionality with fashion."

Ian Poulter Design began as a dream and grew as he toured the world. Poulter sketched out his ideas whenever he had a free moment away from the golf course, which is why many of his ideas were born on hotel letterhead and airline coasters. The clothing line was finally launched in 2007 and has been well received by those who don't limit their golf outfits to khaki pants and a white shirt.

Now he's getting close to breaking through on the golf course in the United States. He's won seven times on the European Tour and another time in Japan. Like his fellow countryman Casey, who notched his first American win earlier this season in Houston, Poulter is poised to make his move.

The only question: What will he be wearing for the final round?

You can only bet it won't be boring.

Stan Awtrey is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR.