Ian Poulter and Billy Horschel | Getty Images
Poulter and Horschel didn’t let the holidays cool down any beef, as a Twitter exchange left fans offering ice to the former Gator.
Leave it up to Billy Horschel and Ian Poulter to produce some holiday drama. It didn’t last long, though. The Englishman destroyed the American with a reminder of how good he is with numbers.
After things finally cooled down surrounding Jon Rahm and LIV Golf, the holiday season should have proceeded without any more bombshells between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed league. But, nope, of course not.
The former Florida Gator had to call out Poulter for fudging his swing speed numbers.
“So you are one of those guys that over exaggerate their club head speed,” Horschel wrote on X. “Your average club head speed in 2020-2021, 2021-2022. #merrychristmasPoults”
Poulter originally commented on a graphic from My Golf Spy with the yardages of various golf balls hit with 115 mph swing speed.
Horschel decided the timing was too good and got involved. He includes two photos with Poulter’s swing speed averages from the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Those two screenshots showed he hit it around 110 mph, not 115.
The six words, “So, you’re one of those guys,” were just bold enough to warrant a response from the fiery Englishman notorious for his passion on the golf course.
Poulter then dropped the microphone on Horschel, and it was epic.
“It’s alright, Billy… I’m normally ok with numbers,” Poulter wrote. “So I got it wrong by about $9 million per MPH difference that you asked for to come join LIV. What’s a few numbers between friends.”
It’s alright Billy… I’m normally ok with numbers.. So I got it wrong by about $9 Million per MPH difference that you asked for to come join LIV. What’s a few numbers between friends. ♂️ https://t.co/HwM65rffpZ
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) December 23, 2023
The European Ryder Cup stalwart appeared to hint at Horschel asking for $45 million to ditch the PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed circuit. None of that has been confirmed of course, but is shocking nonetheless.
Horschel, The 7-time PGA Tour winner has never been afraid to speak his mind either. He did it earlier this year, proclaiming the PGA Tour isn’t a member-led organization.
This altercation isn’t the first time they’ve had beef. In Sept. 2022, at the BMW PGA Championship, they exchanged words on the practice green about LIV Golf.
After Poulter responded, the 2021 World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play winner went silent.
It seems like Horschel found out the hard way his dig probably should have been private or not said at all.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
