by Jeff Skinner
In a golf season that saw too many rules infractions affect the outcome of tournaments the strangeness continued at the Dubai World Championship. Ian Poulter was poised to win his second straight tournament but he let Robert Karlsson tie him and the two went to a playoff. On the second hole of the playoff Poulter accidently dropped his ball on his coin that he used to mark his golf ball. The coin flipped over and moved and therefore violated another rule of the rules of golf. Poulter’s par on the hole became a five and the championship went to Karlsson.
Poulter immediately called over the rules official and called the penalty on himself. What a lousy time to be a fumble fingers. Poulter has played excellent golf of late; this is his third straight top ten. Poulter had a chance at winning in regulation but his birdie putt on eighteen missed. He took the situation in stride. “The coin was one way and the next minute facing the other way,” Poulter said. “It’s pitched right on the front and flipped over. If it pitches in the middle, the coin doesn’t move and it’s fine.”
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