Ian Poulter attends Daytona 500

 

By John HolmesFebruary 23, 2014 7:26 PM

Ian Poulter didn't let his first-round loss to Rickie Fowler at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship ruin his week. He jetted on back to Florida and spent Sunday at the Daytona 500. Poults, a well-known exotic car collector, said he was invited to attend as an honorary race official, took a spin in one of the pace cars and spent much of the day down in pit lane. And while the final match of the Accenture Match Play turned out to be one for the ages, Poulter---at least of this writing -- hasn't seen a whole lot of racing, thanks to an afternoon-long rain delay. The prospects for getting in some more action tonight look better, though, so hopefully for everyone involved at Daytona, the weather will cooperate. Anyway, here's a recap of Poulter's day at the races, culled from his Twitter account. You can see even more images on his Instagram page:

My garage pit pass for Daytona 500. http://t.co/aLTBNaOQPz

--- Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) February 23, 2014

--- Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) February 23, 2014

--- Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) February 23, 2014

--- Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) February 23, 2014

--- Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) February 23, 2014

--- Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) February 23, 2014

--- Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) February 23, 2014

--- Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) February 23, 2014

--- Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) February 23, 2014

--- Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) February 23, 2014

17-year-old amateur Minjee Lee wins Victorian Open

February 23, 2014 4:50 PMAP - Sports

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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Seventeen-year-old amateur Minjee Lee won the Victorian Open by six strokes Sunday for her first victory in a professional event.

Lee closed with a 6-under 68 to finish at 16-under 279 at the Thirteenth Beach Golf Course in the event sanctioned by the Australian tour.

The Australian amateur champion finished second behind Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods' niece, in the Australian Ladies Masters and tied for 11th last week in the Women's Australian Open.

Scotland's Vicky Laing was second at 10 under after a 66.

Ailing Oosthuizen goes out in last eight at Dove Mountain

 

February 23, 2014 2:16 AM

(Reuters) - South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen had been one of the standout players at this week's WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship but was ousted in the quarter-finals on Saturday after struggling with an ailing back.

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Oosthuizen, who was sidelined for almost three months last year with a lingering neck and back injury, lost 2&1 to Australian Jason Day after receiving periodic treatment from his physiotherapist out on the course.

"I was a bit disappointed to start this morning on the range not feeling too good," former British Open champion Oosthuizen told reporters. "It got better the last four or five holes and I felt a lot better.

"It's just a bit painful that it always happens when I'm playing well. I need to address it big time now and get it sorted."

Oosthuizen, who clinched his only major title with a commanding seven-stroke victory at the 2010 British Open, had upset top-seeded Swede Henrik Stenson 4&3 in the second round before crushing American Webb Simpson 5&4 on Friday.

"I felt I played really well (today) but you can't give away holes to a guy like Jason, you're not going to get them back," said the 31-year-old South African. "I had a tough start and it was really tough to get back. He played really well."

Asked how much back pain he had suffered during his quarter-final match, Oosthuizen replied: "The walking was quite affecting it today. If I can commit myself to hit the shot it's not that bad, but I can't commit.

"My body is restricting me to go through the shot. So I just hit a few iron shots that I really stuck down and committed, and hit great shots - the third shot on 11 and things like that.

"It's irritating to play something like that in the back of your head. But I'm not making any excuses. Jason played really well."

Oosthuizen, who won his seventh European Tour title at the Volvo Golf Champions in his native South Africa in January, endured a frustrating 2013 campaign because of his persistent back and neck problems.

He had to withdraw after three rounds of the Byron Nelson Championship in May, pulled out of the U.S. Open the following month after opening with a 75 and lasted just six holes at the British Open in July before calling it quits.

Oosthuizen only returned to competitive golf at the European Tour's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in late September after being sidelined with injury since July.