The Open 2017: Poulter swaps commentary booth for major contention

Poulter, who had to come through final qualifying to avoid missing a sixth major in succession, overcame testing conditions for the early starters to card a three-under-par 67, his lowest opening round in a major at the 54th attempt.

The 41-year-old missed last year’s Open at Royal Troon due to a foot injury and had to make do with spells as a television commentator, with his participation in the Ryder Cup limited to being a vice-captain in Europe’s defeat at Hazeltine.

“Last year I was commentating for the first two days, which was difficult,” said Poulter, after a round containing four birdies and a solitary bogey on the seventh.

“I think that’s one of the most difficult things I’ve done.

“The other difficult thing I’ve done is obviously not playing Ryder Cup and being a vice-captain. The experience was amazing, but it was very, very hard. As someone that’s played quite a few majors now I chose not to watch a lot of the golf because it was too disappointing to watch TV.

“I tried to spend more time with the kids and enjoy that time rather than sit there and have disappointment on my face. It’s too easy to get down when you’re not playing those big tournaments.

“And it’s easy to get down when golf seems to be pretty difficult. It makes it even more special to be back here playing.

“I’ve definitely had some low spots in the last 18 months. And certainly 12 months (ago), I was getting very down. It’s easy to be down when you feel you’re a great player and all of a sudden you’re hampered with a bit of injury. You’re not getting the results you want. It’s very easy to slide away.

“So I’m proud of the way I’ve been able to refocus, get things back on the straight and narrow, clear away some of the noise in the background and get back to really focusing hard on what I need to do to get the level of golf back that I think I can play.”

After playing just 13 tournaments last year due to his injury, Poulter had 10 events this season to earn enough FedEx Cup points or money to retain a full PGA Tour card.

He came up short in both categories after missing the cut in the Valero Texas Open in April, but American Brian Gay, who was also playing on a medical exemption after back problems, then alerted officials to a discrepancy in the points structure used for players competing in that category.

Poulter made the most of his reprieve by finishing second in the Players Championship on his next start, but was unable to convert a share of the 54-hole lead in last week’s Scottish Open after a closing 74.

“I’m definitely playing with a bit more confidence and that’s definitely showed over the last couple of months,” added Poulter. “The Players Championship was a big week for me. I think that was a huge turning point. I’m definitely a freer player on the golf course.”

Poulter finished second behind Padraig Harrington the last time Birkdale staged the Open in 2008, but insisted thoughts of that performance only surfaced on the 18th hole.

“I didn’t think about 2008 until the putt on the last, to be honest,” he added. “I splashed out of the bunker and the pin was kind of in that right-hand area. Missing the green to the right was similar to how it happened in ’08.

‘’Birkdale nine years ago felt pretty good on Sunday afternoon and it felt just as good (yesterday).”

By contrast, the much-fancied Tommy Fleetwood feared he had let his supporters down after making a disappointing start in his hometown Open.

Southport-born Fleetwood, who used to sneak on to the championship course to play as a child, was given a hero’s welcome on the first tee but shot a disappointing six-over-par 76.

After rising to No 14 in the world and finishing fourth in last month’s US Open, Fleetwood had been tipped as a contender, but he hopes he can still give the locals something to cheer.

Fleetwood said: “It was cool, it was brilliant. It was an amazing atmosphere, something you don’t get very often. I loved it and it was great having them out there.

“It’s so easy to feel like you’ve disappointed them a little bit when I played the way I did, but I will try my hardest (in the second round). They did their part, I just didn’t do mine.”

Of the rest of the home contingent, Paul Casey lies just one shot off the lead on 66 while crowd favourite Andrew Johnston shot a 69 thanks to an eagle three on the par-5 17th.

Justin Rose, fourth at Birkdale 21 years ago when he was a teenager amateur, started quickly with two birdies in the first three holes, but finished one over after dropping shots on the 16th and 18th.

Ryder Cup veteran Lee Westwood, still hoping for a first major, is six shots adrift after an opening one-over-par 71, which included two birdies and three bogeys.