Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter is Europe’s top target for team USA

Ian Poulter, to no one’s surprise, is brimming with self-assurance and ready to resume his role as the destroyer of American hopes when the 2014 Ryder Cup tees off on Friday at Gleneagles.

One of European captain Paul McGinley’s wild-card picks for this year’s squad, Poulter is one of those rare breed of players Johnny Miller singled out as journeymen of sorts when it comes to regular-season play but absolute geniuses of the golf course once national pride is on the line.

“Guys are going to win the Quad Cities, the Milwaukee Open, guys are going to win the Memorial-type tournaments, guys are going to win majors, and then there’s guys that can play well in the Ryder Cup, and they have nothing to do with one another,” NBC Sports’ lead golf analyst said last week during a teleconference promoting this week’s tilt. “You look at even Colin Montgomerie, how he never did much in the U.S. and how amazing he was in the Ryder Cup, and Ian Poulter. The rarest player in the world is a guy that can play great in the Ryder Cup and make those putts.”

Poulter, with no majors on his resume and a lackluster 2014 season behind him, was the heart and soul of the 2012 Euro team that roared from behind and stunned the home team with a 14.5-13.5 victory at Medinah. Indeed, it was in those games — the “Miracle at Medinah” or “Meltdown at Medinah,” depending on which side of the Atlantic from which you hail — that Poulter secured his place in history as a Ryder Cup savant.

His team down 10-4 halfway through Saturday afternoon, Poulter put his guys on his back and, as partner Rory McIlroy looked on, birdied the final five holes to bring the Euros within another point of the Americans.

“I don’t know how I did it, but it comes from within; I just love The Ryder Cup,” Poulter said in a European Tour profile.

“As I crouched down to line my putt up, I could see the European team to the right. It was a surreal moment to know that, if I holed this putt, it might help our team go out on Sunday and believe we could actually win,” said Poulter, recalling moments etched in every Ryder Cup player’s and fan’s memory. “The second I hit it I knew it was good. For the first time that week, we had a pulse.”

The 38-year-old Brit’s juices are already flowing but he’ll preserve his enthusiasm for when it counts.

“I am very much ready to go. It’s no secret I get quite pumped for this week,” Poulter told Sky Sports on Sunday. “Right now, it’s about managing energy levels. There’s no point getting too excited, too early. Come Thursday night I’ll be pretty pumped.”

The four-time Ryder Cup participant’s 80 percent victory percentage in the biennial matches in which he’s played is a modern-era record and, despite teammate Lee Westwood’s suggestion that fans temper their expectations of more Poulter pandemonium, the Orlando resident insisted his back was strong enough for the saddle.

“It’s been that way for the last few of them so it’s not going to be any different,” he said. “I’ll go about my business the way I normally do and everything will be fine.”

Poulter earned himself a bit of a vacation when his PGA Tour season ended at the Deutsche Bank Championship and he contended he had put his hiatus to good use.

“I’ve had three weeks off, so I’ve been prepping, getting nice and healthy,” said the colorfully clad Englishman with the crazy eyes and popping veins who is the Americans’ worst nightmare. “I’m ready.”

It looks like Poulter, the heart and soul of the European side, may be paired with the competition’s top player, Rory McIlroy. If McGinley does not opt for that powerhouse duo, Justin Rose would be another likely partner in the two-man games.

Age: 38
World ranking: 38
Ryder Cup record (Win-Loss-Halve): 12-3-0
Past Ryder Cup appearance: 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012
How he qualified: Captain’s pick (was 9th with 1,962,706.58 points)