Now that he’s entered into the “icon era” of his career, Tiger Woods has a nearly unanimous approval rating.
He has inspired the current generation of players, so they look up to him with an unwavering respect and admiration as the greatest golfer of all time. So much so that it’s almost easy to forget that he has some of the most intense rivalries the sport has ever seen during his prime.
Woods’ rivalry with Phil Mickelson is the most infamous one. The pair duelled it out for the sport’s biggest prizes for the better part of two decades. But Woods also had feuds with Sergio Garcia, Vijay Singh, and other all-time golfing greats.
And there was one current LIV Golf star that Woods’ coach admitted the 15-time major winner wasn’t a fan of, and that boiled over when he took an uninvited lift on Woods’ plane.
How Ian Poulter was banned from Tiger Woods’ plane
Ian Poulter is an immensely talented golfer, but it might be fair to say that nobody rates his golfing ability higher than he does himself. He’s never been shy of running his mouth to get under opponents’ skin, and that helped him to become one of the most prolific Ryder Cup players ever.
But Poulter, despite his talk, never won a major championship. He’s exactly the type of player that Woods couldn’t stand, according to his former coach, Hank Haney.
He once said, “Those he genuinely liked tended to be quiet, modest, hardworking guys like Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker, whose ability he respected but whose talent didn’t elevate them to the position of serious rival.
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“He kept the super-talented at a distance. He didn’t want players who could be a threat to feel comfortable around him. He was averse to certain players, especially if he felt their records didn’t warrant all the talk. He wasn’t a fan of Ian Poulter, for example.”
According to Haney, Poulter once took the liberty of hitching a ride on Woods’ private plane prior to the 2007 US Open at Oakmont. Haney said that this irritated Woods, who had some choice words about Poulter.
Haney continued: “Tiger stretched out on his regular spot, in the two seats in the front of the plane, and immediately put on his headphones. That left me to talk to Ian, which I didn’t mind because I got along with him.”
Haney claimed Woods texted him about Poulter during the flight: “‘Can you believe this d–k mooched a ride on my plane?’… As far as I know, Ian didn’t get any more rides.”
The Ryder Cup legends Ian Poulter said he was better than
Poulter’s self-confidence rubbed Woods the wrong way, and that self-assurance was on full display prior to the 2025 Ryder Cup.
The Englishman was asked to compare Ryder Cup players on Majesticks GC’s social media, and ended up picking himself above a series of legendary players.
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“No one’s asked me.”
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Poulter was first asked if he ranked himself higher than Sergio Garcia, and with his typical cheeky smile, said that he did. He then proceeded to say he was better than Padraig Harrington, but fell short of putting himself above Jose María Olazabal.
But ranking himself above two major winners could show exactly why he never saw eye-to-eye with Woods.
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