poulter shock
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Golf-mad 10-year-old Sam Nicholls was given a taste of stardom when superstar Ian Poulter took him for surprise coaching at Mill Green GC, Herts.
Poulter – one of the UK’s most flamboyant golfers – turned up unannounced at Sam’s home in Bayford, near Hertford, as part of a day’s filming for the Disney Channel, who had searched nationwide for a young golfer to feature in a programme with the Ryder Cup star.
Sam, a member of Mill Green’s successful junior Tiger Club, was stunned when Poulter, resplendent in all white golf gear, knocked on his door early in the morning.
He gave the 32-year-old golf fashion icon a tour of the family home, which included mowing the lawn, before going to Mill Green for lunch and coaching on the club’s Par 3 course – where Sam’s sisters acted as caddies.
And during the afternoon session, Sam and Ian disappeared at one point – only to return to the course in matching blue and white checked trousers, created especially by Poulter’s own tailor, to complete the day’s shoot for the TV programme, which will be shown in July.
Sam, a pupil at Morgans School, in Hertford, said: “It’s not every morning that you answer the door to a famous person – it was a day I’ll never forget.
“Ian was fun to be with, he’s really cool and I had a brilliant time.
“The checked trousers he gave me were fantastic. But they ripped during filming and Ian said he’d get me a new pair made. He’s very kind.”
Sam plays off a handicap of 22 and wants to be a pro himself. He’s an active member of Mill Green’s Tiger Club which was set up five years ago to teach four to 16-year-olds how to play golf. It now has around 100 pupils under the guidance of head professional Ian Parker.
