Ian Poulter might have chosen not to enter final qualifying for this year’s Open at Royal Liverpool, but the Englishman is looking forward to teeing it up in northern England later this year, with the LIV player down for The International Series England at Close House in August (17-20).
The event is the fifth tournament of the The International Series and 11th on the Asian Tour, and the former World No. 5 can’t wait to compete in the North East in a strong field that includes fellow LIV golfer and close friend, Lee Westwood.
Poulter has two wins to his name on the Asian Tour, the 2009 Singapore Open and 2010 Hong Kong Open, the latter of which is now also among the ten International Series events contributing to the Asian Tour schedule in 2023.
And the Englishman will be confident of adding another title, especially given his liking of Close House, where he carded rounds of 66, 65, 68 and 70 in 2017 to finish in a tie for 11th at the DP World Tour's British Masters.
“I always enjoy the opportunity to tee-up on home turf and Close House is a fantastic venue where the crowds are packed with knowledgeable golf fans,” said the 12-time DP World Tour winner.
The 47-year-old from Hertfordshire added that he was excited to be competing alongside some of the Asian Tour’s top talents, many of whom he now plays against on LIV, and couldn’t wait to make his International Series debut.
Poulter and Westwood won't be the only two star names battling it out at Close House. Patrick Reed, Abraham Ancer and Graeme McDowell are also likely to help attract a healthy crowd to the Newcastle venue.
Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, said: “Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood are the definition of global golfers – having played, and won throughout the world.
“They are beloved by English golf fans, and anyone attending International Series England is in for a very special week”.
