Luke Poulter didn’t just turn heads on Thursday; he nearly burned Cypress Point to the ground with a highlight reel that would make even the pros jealous.
The 20-year-old Englishman, son of Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter, came out blazing in Team GB&I’s Thursday practice round ahead of the 50th Walker Cup. By the time he walked off the third green, Poulter had already holed out twice — once for eagle at the par-4 first, and then again for his first official hole-in-one at the iconic par-3 third.
Let’s break that down: wedge from 110 yards? Spun back into the hole. Birdie at No. 2 in alternate shot? No problem. Steps up at No. 3? “Smooth 9-iron,” he said. Bottom of the cup from 155 yards.
“It’s my first real ace,” Poulter admitted afterward. And he means real.
He recounted a “controversial” near-ace from last year’s Georgetown Intercollegiate — where the ball vanished into a tree, only to be mysteriously discovered in the hole. “No one saw it, so I’ve never claimed to have a hole-in-one,” Poulter said with a laugh. Florida head coach J.C. Deacon shut that one down: “You can never count it.”
Luke Poulter Nearly Delivers a Second Ace
At the cliffside 15th — one of the most jaw-dropping par-3s in America — Poulter nearly added a second ace to his day, spinning a 52-degree wedge from 127 yards to within inches.
“I thought I slam-dunked it as I hit it,” he said. “Just one of those days, I guess.”
With the Walker Cup set to tee off this weekend at Cypress Point — a course as brutal as it is beautiful — Poulter’s electric start has given GB&I fans plenty to buzz about. His confidence is rising, his wedge game is sharp, and the ace monkey is officially off his back.
Keep your eyes on Luke Poulter. He’s not just living up to his famous last name — he’s writing his own story, one hole-out at a time.
