Ian Poulter takes a one-shot lead along with the encouragement of Nick Faldo, and the only Englishman to win the event, into the final round of the 50th anniversary RBC Heritage at Hilton Head in South Carolina.
Poulter, 42 brilliantly saved par at both the 16th and 17th holes in a bogey-free round of a four-under par 67 to move one stroke clear of his rivals at 13-under par on the Harbor Town Links course.
Korean Si Woo Kim (68) and American Luke List (67) share second place at 12-under.
Immediately after his round Poulter was taken to the NBC TV tower where Jim Nantz and Faldo were waiting to talk to the Woburn golfer.
Faldo captured the RBC Heritage in 1984 and his first of nine PGA Tour titles and after being prompted by Nantz, Faldo said to Poulter: “How long ago do you think that was I won here?”
NBCs Nick Faldo and Jim Nantz interviewing Ian Poulter after his round
Poulter shook his head and with Faldo saying: “Well it was 1984 my ole fruit. It was my first win in America and maybe now I am your omen to win”.
Three weeks ago, Poulter ended a six-year PGA Tour winless drought in capturing the Houston Open and now he’s just one round away in tasting a second success.
Poulter set-up his Houston victory thanks to a blistering second round 64 and he shot the same score to now set-up a hopeful Harbor Town win.
As well, Poulter continues to use his 2012 Ryder Cup winning putter he put in the bag in Houston and he used the ‘Medinah Miracle’ winning short stick in recording just 24 putts on day three of the $ 6.7m event.
Ian Poulter leads by one with a round to play at 2018 RBC Heritage.
And now having played six weeks in succession, Poulter reckons he’s got what it takes to pull off success.
“I’m surprised I’m still awake, to be honest as this is six weeks in a row”, he said.
“Normally after three I’m begging for a week off. There’s a lot happened in six weeks. Game changing, schedule changing, obviously World Ranking changing.
“Being in a position — I feel energized because of the good golf. Normally after six weeks I’m really struggling. So to play good, to get the win, to take the pressure off, to be able to reassess things, really kind of plan the rest of this season, even the start of next season, is a position I really haven’t been in for the last couple of years and it’s been difficult.
“I’ve always kind of been in a good position for a long time. And it’s been nice to plan schedules, work out where you’re playing, what you’re doing, with the family going.
“So, to have that kind of fresh in my mind, knowing I know where they’re going, knowing where I’m going to go, it kind of fills the tank up full of fuel again. I feel pretty good”.
“Hopefully, I can muster-up another hard day of the hard graft and pull this one out of the bag”.
The Woburn golfer’s third’s day at picturesque Hilton Head was an outward half of back-to-back birdies at three and four where he holed putts of four-feet and 13-feet.
He did much the same over his inward half with back-to-back birdies at 12 and 13 where he rolled-in laser-like putts of seven-feet and six-feet.
The birdie on 13 handed Poulter the lead but there was a loud call of ‘Fore right!” from the current World No. 31 and with his drive missing spectators and then taking a huge bounce off a cart path to leave him 151-yards to the hole.
Poulter’s second shot was short of the green before leaving a near 60-foot chip shot four-feet short of the flag before he calmly holed the par putt.
He then brilliantly saved par when he put his tee shot at the par-3 17th into a greenside bunker some 11-yards from the flag before Poulter splashed out to six-feet and again rolled-in a par-saving gem.
“To produce a clean card today as I did yesterday is what is working for me”, he said.
“I am driving the ball well and I feel confident with my irons and my distance control, and while I hit a couple of loose shots out there today I was in between clubs and a little rushed.
“The two par-3s on the back nine were the key today and then to get up-and-down there on 17, and with not too much sand in the bunker, was good”.
