Ryder Cup legend Bernard Gallacher backs Ian Poulter to claim major victory at The Open

Ian Poulter's magical Saturday night putting display at the Ryder Cup was one of the best ever seen in the competition, according to Ryder Cup legend Bernard Gallacher.

Gallacher says Poulter deserves a major victory on his CV, but his lack of length off the tee could hold him back - although the one thing that is not in question is his ability to follow through and claim that victory should the chance present itself. He said: "Ian Poulter is a great player, very confident, but the thing that holds him back is probably his striking from tee to green, he's not a power player and a lot of the power players at the moment are winning all the tournaments, so I hope it doesn't hold him back. "But I do know that given a chance that Adam Scott for instance had this year with a four shot-lead there's no question in my mind that Ian Poulter would win, he just needs to get himself into position. "When you compare him with Rory McIlroy, Rory's weapon is his driver, he bombs it so long and so straight off the tee it just makes the golf courses easy, Ian Poulter doesn't have that in his game. "Poulter will be hitting hybrids into greens where McIlroy could have something as short as a seven iron, and when you're playing in tough majors where they're hiding pins away then you'd rather be going with seven irons than hybrids. "I think if he's going to win a major it'll be our Open, that's what I do think he'll win so next year at Muirfield maybe things will turn for Ian Poulter - I hope so as he deserves it." Bernard Gallacher is an ambassador for Golf Care, the UK's #1 golf insurer - www.golfcare.co.uk