Don’t disrespect the European Tour while Ian Poulter’s listening.
Poulter called out Paul Azinger on Sunday after the NBC analyst’s comments about Tommy Fleetwood, who was in contention at the Honda Classic. Fleetwood, held the Honda lead after 54 holes, and was seeking his first PGA Tour win.
‘There is a lot of pressure here (on Fleetwood),” Azinger said during the broadcast, according to the Daily Mail. “You know you are trying to prove to everybody you’ve got what it takes. These guys know, you can win all you want on the European Tour, the international game and all that, but you have to win on the PGA Tour…
“They know that, and I think Tommy knows that and it’s put a little pressure on Tommy, but this is where they want to be and they want to come here and prove they can make it at this level.”
Fleetwood, who has six European Tour wins, finished third at the Honda Classic, two strokes behind winner Sungjae Im. The 29-year-old has 17 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour.
Azinger, the 1993 PGA Championship winner who served as captain on the victorious 2008 U.S Ryder Cup team, also said when he asked English golfer Lee Westwood about the concept of winning of the PGA Tour he “took offense.”
So did Poulter clearly.
“I like (Azinger) a lot. And get on with him great. But Paul please do not condescend or disrespect the (European Tour) and our players like that,” Poutler wrote on Twitter Sunday evening. “We have slapped your (ass) in Ryder Cup for so long. I know you captained a win but seriously that was embarrassing today.”
Azinger has not publicly responded to Poulter’s tweet in which he was tagged.
Poulter, 44, has 12 European Tour wins as well as three PGA Tour victories and 48 top-10 finishes.
Fleetwood and partner Francesco Molinari were instrumental in the European dominance of the United States, 17.5-10.5, in the 2018 Ryder Cup.
Europe has won four out of the last five Ryder Cups.
