Ian Poulter was born on January 10th, 1976 in Hitchin, England. He started playing golf at the age of 4. He turned pro in 1994 at the age of 19. He made three unsuccessful trips to the European Tour Q-School. In 1999 he played on the Challenge Tour gaining some valuable experience.

He finally won his place on the European Tour via the Q-School and won a tournament on his first season making him Rookie of the Year. Poulter then won a tournament each year for the next four seasons including the 2004 Volvo Masters. He is well known for his extravagant dress sense.