Poulter slated for Ryder Cup "disrespect"

Ian Poulter is dicing with controversial headlines again after eating breakfast cereal from the Ryder Cup.

The Englishman, one of the stars of Europe’s triumphant side at Celtic Manor, failed to disclose it was a replica of the trophy, which he has on loan from the PGA of America to take to a charity event.

But the 34-year-old has been criticised for posting a video of himself and his children eating from the cup on social-networking site Twitter.

Director at the Ryder Cup’s spiritual home of The Belfry, Gary Silcock, said: “It appears disrespectful. I think taking a drink from it is one thing, but to eat cereal with your children from it is another.

“It’s not in keeping with the traditions of golf.”

But Poulter hit back, insisting he was within his rights to “have fun” with the trophy.

“Totally no disrespect meant with RC, life is about enjoying yourself, I would hate to grow old and be miserable. That I assure you won’t happen,” he wrote on his Twitter feed.

“If you pour blood, sweat and tears for a trophy and make it your life to help win it and not be able to have fun with it, then something is wrong.

“It’s probably the same 12 people that complained about me wearing the union jack trousers. You can’t please everyone.”

But while people were quick to get on Poulter’s back, the reason he had the cup in the first place was to raise money for Dreamflight, a charity who take seriously ill and disabled children, without their parents, on the holiday of a lifetime to Orlando, Florida, where Poulter lives.

The money Poulter raised helped pay for 192 children to do things such as swimming with dolphins and visiting theme parks.