Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.

Ian Poulter found that out on the 18th hole of his first round of the British Open at Carnoustie on Thursday. The 42-year-old Englishman blasted his way through the fescue, and his ball somehow bounced over the water and rolled through the green-side pot bunker to end up just yards off the green and ultimately rescued par. It’s one of the wildest and luckiest shots you’ll see, and it saved Poulter’s round from going completely awry.

Poulter finished with a two-over 73

Things certainly didn’t look good for Poulter, who was already sitting at two-over when he knocked his tee shot into the high stuff left of the fairway. Things looked even worse after his low line drive out of the fescue headed toward the water. Somehow the ball took a massive bounce — it’s been a dry summer in Scotland — and rolled toward the bunker. At that point, it certainly wasn’t perfect, but Poulter would have been ecstatic that he wasn’t in the water. In fact, he even pointed down, signaling he thought the ball was in trouble.

But the ball carried considerable speed through the pot bunker and somehow hopped out on the other side. Poulter converted a simple up-and-down to finish up his par.

Just like he drew it up.

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