Golf’s Mr Fashion withdraws from Singapore Open

Ian Poulter has withdrawn from the £3.2m Singapore Open after his driver was stolen during last week’s tournament in Shanghai. A replacement club failed to arrive in time for the Singapore event, which started today.

“It’s disappointing as I did not come all this way not to play,” the badly dressed Englishman said.

“But with so many world ranking points at stake, if I played badly I may have lost ground.”

Applause verdict: Pathetic: is Poults telling us that he couldn’t have still competed with a different driver, which after all is just one club in his bag? Of course he could. Padraig Harrington started the Open with a damaged wrist, Tiger Woods won the US Open with a dodgy knee; but Poulter can’t play because he doesn’t have his favourite driver. Diddums.