Ian Poulter upset by Wentworth course changes

BMW PGA Championship

• Venue: Wentworth
• Date: Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 May
• Coverage: Thursday & Friday: 1800-2000 delayed coverage of last two hours on Red Button/online plus highlights BBC2, BBC HD & online 2320-0020; Saturday & Sunday: 1430-1700 live on BBC2, BBC and online. Updates on BBC Radio 5 live and leaderboard online

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Wentworth course frustrates Poulter

Ian Poulter launched a scathing attack on the redesigned West Course at Wentworth after finishing with a double bogey to slide to level par at the halfway stage of the PGA Championship.

Poulter, who has been openly critical of the course in the past, added to the complaints of the new layout despite alterations made since last year.
"I don't like this golf course. Period. End of story," he said. "It's a very difficult golf course, especially now it's been redesigned.
"It's not fun. I was here as a kid watching those great shots but you can't remember them now. We'll have to fill up the archive with some new ones."
The West Course was laid out by the architect Harry Colt in 1926 but underwent significant changes, at the behest of owner Richard Caring and overseen by Ernie Els, for last year's tournament.
All 18 greens were relaid and many resculpted with the major change coming at the 18th. The traditional par-five finish, which offered an eagle chance, has been altered, with a stream running in front of a raised green, which dissuades most players from attacking the putting surface in two.
Caring, who spent £6.5m revamping the course, admitted after last year's event that he had not quite got it right first time.
"The 18th was a dream I had," he said. "I wanted to give the spectators a bit of excitement, a bit of theatre. We might have gone slightly too far because it's proven to be quite difficult."

Ian Poulter

Els was against the changes to the 18th, and the green has been lowered for this year with the depth of the putting surface extended to invite second shots.
Poulter also criticised the 9th and 12th holes and said the changes on 17 made it impossible to go for the green in two. In the first round there was only one eagle made on each of the last two holes - by Jose Manuel Lara on the 17th and by Gregory Havret on the 18th.
"Some of the fun of the last few holes has been taken away," he said. "We can't get a sniff of 17. You can't finish eagle-eagle anymore."
He added: "They've got what they wanted. I'll speak freely. Many others will not."
Poulter missed the event in 2008 and 2009 because of his record and said: "I don't know what I'm going to do in a year's time."
Poulter had started the day at three-under par but had a mixed front nine, with four birdies and five bogeys.
He finished disappointingly when his approach shot to the par-five last hit the remodelled green and bounced into the water. He chipped on to the green before taking two putts to finish with a seven taking him to level par.
He said: "On the 18th I hit a near-perfect third shot which pitched on the green and spun into the hazard. For me they have turned it into a difficult golf course and not a fun golf course."