USPGA Championship 2013: Ian Poulter needs early-wake up call to rise and shine at majors At the 2008 Open at Royal Birkdale, Poulter came from six off the pace and when he birdied the last he was only two behind Padraig Harrington. It was not enough. At the 2012 Masters, Poulter came from seven off the pace to close within one of the lead after 15 holes. At this year's Open, Poulter came from eight off the pace to close within one of the lead after 15 holes, courtesy of being five under for four holes on the back nine. Imagine what Poulter could do if he was actually in contention going into a major Sunday? The nearest he has been after three rounds was at the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot, where he was three off the pace. Back then, he was not yet a Ryder Cup superstar and probably did not know his own putting powers when the glare was at its most intense. Now he does and, understandably, he craves the opportunity again. "That is one of the issues and it is potentially always been the issue from day one," he said. I would love to be in front on the Sunday at a major. I am pretty good under pressure and the thing is I might not be under enough pressure in the first, second and third rounds. The pressure is there from the first tee shot at the Ryder Cup. There you go - it is no secret is it? But I can't take an injection before I tee off on a Thursday morning. It's not possible. So what does he do? "All I can do is look into the part of the tournament," he said. Put simply, I've made mistakes at the wrong time. Certainly at the Open, bogeying four of the last five holes in one round and then bogeying two of the last three in another round, cost me heavily in this first three rounds. So it's about me staying focused for all 18 holes and not trying to make those silly errors and get myself into a better position come Saturday evening. Instead I've been way back, made lots of birdies and been left hoping the guys in front falter. Majors have been won like that, but I'd have a much better chance if I was not having to make these mad late dashes. Perhaps it would be apt if Poulter's major breakthrough came through at this famous Ryder Cup layout. He was 19 when Europe won here in 1995. "That was my first year as an assistant pro," he said. I was working at a golf course called Chesfield Downs and watched that Ryder Cup in the shop. I remember [Nick] Faldo's up and down to beat [Curtis] Strange on the 18th and Seve [Ballesteros] having a heart attack when [David] Gilford putted from the rough. And, of course, I remember us winning. It is time for Poulter to create his own memories and if he were to succeed he would command a rather special place in England's golfing history. Considering the quality of players the country has produced in the last century, it is baffling that an Englishman has not won since the Jim Barnes won the second of his two Wanamaker Trophies in 1919. Poulter claims not to know anything about Barnes, but maybe there is inspiration to draw from the 6ft 4in Cornishman. Like Poulter, Barnes made hay on the greens. Like Poulter, he was a one-off. In 1916, the New York Times described him thus: "All that Barnes needs to win a golf tournament is a golf course, a putter, and a liberal supply of the clover leaves that he carries in the corner of his mouth." There was another similarity, as well. When he won his first PGA he returned to the first hole after an indifferent morning round and told the crowd surrounding the first tee: "I always do better after lunch." Like Poulter he was a Sunday afternoon sort of guy.