Ian Poulter‘s son Luke won his maiden collegiate title at the Willow Cup in Alabama, shooting rounds of 67 and 68 for a nine-under-par total and a one stroke victory.
The 18-year-old, who plays for the ‘Gators’ as a freshman at the University of Florida, played his last seven holes in five-under-par at Willow Point Golf and Country Club.
“I know this has felt a very long time coming… But Luke we couldn’t more proud,” dad Ian wrote on social media. “Winning isn’t easy and it’s not supposed to be. The hours of hard work and disappointments make this all the sweeter. You will reach your goals and more.”
Poulter senior and junior famously had an emotional embrace on camera following Europe’s victory at the 2018 Ryder Cup, with Ian telling his son after defeating then-World No.1 Dustin Johnson in the singles: “That’s why you need to go and practice. You’ll never experience anything like it.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Luke has clearly taken those words to heart, with a professional career set to be in the works following his spell at the University of Florida. He also made the quarter finals at this year’s English Amateur Championship and appeared in the R&A’s Boys Amateur.
Luke has even caddied for his dad out on the PGA Tour and was on the bag at the 150th Open at St Andrews in July.
He currently ranks 4113th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking – having only appeared in two sanctioned events – but is set to rise thanks to his Willow Cup win and should climb the rankings throughout his time at the University of Florida.
The Florida Gators have won four national titles, with the likes of Billy Horschel, Chris DiMarco and Camillo Villegas graduating from the university to the professional ranks.
Luke Poulter isn’t the only Ryder Cup legend’s son to be following in his father’s footsteps, with Lee Westwood‘s son Sam also set for a playing career. Sam made his pro debut recently at the Indonesian Masters on the Asian Tour.
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