Poulter craves major title to add to his impressive list of achievements

LONDON -- Ian Poulter has achieved much in his career, but the Englishman won't be satisfied until he has a major to his name.

The world No. 12 has claimed 16 professional titles, including two World Golf Championship crowns, and has led the way for Europe in the Ryder Cup on multiple occasions. Despite this success, Poulter doesn’t pull any punches when he talks of his career achievements.

"It's something that I'd like to have on the résumé, to be honest," he told The Augusta Chronicle. "I'd like to win a major. Everyone wants to win a major.

"What have I achieved in golf right now? What does all of that add up to? It adds up to a nice world ranking position. But what is it I'm searching for? We'd all like to win a major."

Poulter was instrumental in sparking Europe's revival at last year's Ryder Cup at the Medinah Country Club, and he admits that when at the event he always feels in control.

"The concentration level is up, the intensity is up, the pressure is up, and when I've been in that situation, I've managed to hole some seriously key putts at the right time," he said. "You know, my mind never wandered away from the fact of being able to hole those putts," he explained.

"I was a marked man at the Ryder Cup," he added. "They wanted to shut me up. That was plain and simple. Everybody knew that and they couldn't do it.

"I guess I frustrate certain people in that format, and you know, hopefully I'm going to be in the same situation if I'm coming down the stretch in a major," he said. "You know, I'd like to think that I've got the game and I've got the mindset if I'm in the position to obviously try and finish one off."

Poulter finished in the top 10 at the Masters, the British Open and the PGA Championship last year, and he believes that if he is able to place himself well heading into the final straight at a major, he can break through.

"It's about getting in that position," he said. "Sometimes it just doesn't happen. Sometimes I just take myself out of contention. I've been there a couple of times and haven't finished it off.

"It's all a work in progress. I'm trying. I know what happens when my mindset is challenged and know what happens when I get myself in that position," he explained. "I know I can close out tournaments, I just need to be in position to be able to close it out."