Why is Ian Poulter angry with Ryder Cup Europe? What did he say on Twitter?
The LIV defector let the European Ryder Cup know that he wasn’t happy about them not remembering Sergio García and his birthdays on Jan. 9 and 10, respectively.


There’s no doubt that Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia will go down in history as two of Europe’s toughest Ryder Cup competitors. Historians will also remember both of them for their online and on course whining and complaining.
Sergio Garcia’s meltdown in a Royal Greens bunker a day prior to his disqualification for vandalism work on five greens. Story by @SkySportsGolf fills in details. Translations welcomed! https://t.co/UoGmPtTOz4 pic.twitter.com/dQMDN7y2PC
— Geoff Shackelford (@GeoffShac) February 4, 2019
Ian Poulter wants us all to wish him a happy birthday
Poulter, who turned 47 on Tuesday, wanted the world to know it was his birthday so what better way than to take a dig at the Team Europe Ryder Cup account on Twitter. His random comment on a tweet about Francesco Molinari’s touch around the greens got hundreds of responses on social media.
I think the most amusing part of Ian Poulter getting upset that the Ryder Cup Europe Twitter account hadn’t wished him a happy birthday is that LIV Golf didn’t either but saw his tweet so rushed one out 16 minutes later pic.twitter.com/1uTOXoaaoV
— Jamie Weir (@jamiecweir) January 11, 2023
As Sky Sports golf correspondent Jamie Weir pointed out, his new employer, LIV golf, also forgot about his birthday and was forced to post a few minutes after Poulter’s tirade on Twitter. Golf fans reminded Poulter that he’s a grown man of 47 and it was his decision to risk everything and take the money from the Saudi backed golf tour.
Lee Westwood tried to cool down his LIV buddy
Related stories
Former Ryder Cup teammate and fellow countryman Lee Westwood also reminded his LIV golf partner that there comes a time in a man’s life when birthdays are better off forgotten:
Just FYI….. I’m of an age where I don’t want reminding that another birthday has come and gone! 😜 #birthdaygate
— Lee Westwood (@WestwoodLee) January 11, 2023
Westwood coined the online altercation as #birthdaygate to try to downplay the situation and make light of Poulter’s tantrum. The 2023 season looks like it will be another intense one with the rivalry between PGA players and LIV defectors still going strong.

