Ian Poulter: Golfer hits unluckiest shot ever, off of flag and into water

Nov. 4 (UPI) -- English golfer Ian Poulter hit a very unlucky shot Friday, when his ball drilled a flagstick and rolled into a water hazard at the Turkish Airlines Open.

Poulter, 41, was on the fifth hole at Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort during the sequence. He took out an iron for his second shot on the par-4. The ball lofted through the air before coming down and clanking off of the flagstick to the right side of the green. After the collision, the ball sprinted to the right of the hole, rolling off of the green and dropping into the pond. The ball rolled more than 30 yards to find the hazard.

Poulter was at 7-under and in second place before the shot. He was able to save for a bogey on the hole after making a solid chip. It was his first bogey of the tournament.

"Bloody good shot sir...Oh Lovely, Simply Lovely..." Poulter wrote in response to a tweet from The European Tour. "It's ok, Got plenty in the tank for the weekend...Worse, how could it be worse..."

Poulter was tied for No. 21 with Alexander Levy and Paul Waring before Saturday's round at the tournament in Antalya, Turkey. Shane Lowry and Kiradech Aphibarnrat lead the tournament at 14-under.

Team England also broke the record for the world's fastest hole of golf on Friday, setting the mark in 32.7 seconds. Poulter, Tyrrell Hatton, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Matthew Southgate teamed up for that challenge.

Poulter posted an opening round 66 at the tournament, which concludes Sunday. He is currently ranked No. 54 in the official World Golf Ranking.