Stolen driver forces Poulter out of Singapore Open

By Ossian Shine

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - British Open runner-up Ian Poulter has pulled out of the Singapore Open after being unable to replace the driver he had stolen at the HSBC Champions Tournament in Shanghai which ended on Monday.

"I am really gutted," he told reporters on Wednesday. "I have been thinking about it for four hours and I have decided to withdraw because my new driver will not arrive on time.

"It is disappointing because I did not come all this way not to play. But with so many world ranking points at stake, if I played badly (by using a different driver) I may have lost ground."

The tournament starts on Thursday but world number 25 Poulter would have been unable to secure a replacement driver until Friday.

India's Anirban Lahiri will take the Englishman's place in the field for the $5 million event at Sentosa Golf Club, the richest national open on the Asian Tour.

(Editing by Tony Jimenez)