SOUTHPORT, England (Reuters) - Ian Poulter ignited the home challenge at the British Open on Thursday with a near faultless three-under-par 67, stirring memories of his near-miss when the tournament was last staged at Royal Birkdale nine years ago.
The 41-year-old played superbly on the greens, holding from 20 feet on the second and taking just 22 putts in total in his attempt to become the first Englishman to win the event since Nick Faldo at Muirfield in 1992.
