Poulter pleased with play after hating the U.S. Open for 14 years

Sitting just five shots off the lead headed to the weekend, it's been a good two days for Ian Poulter at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

While the Englishman is enjoying this year's event on Long Island, he admitted on Friday that he hasn't always been fond of what is often referred to as the "toughest test in golf."

"I've hated it for 14 years," the always-honest Poulter said, as per Dylan Dethier of Golf.com. "I came into my first U.S. Open, and I wanted to enjoy it, and I hated it. I hated a lot of the U.S. Opens through the years, to be honest, because I've gone home early and I haven't had the finish I would have liked."

Sitting in a tie for fourth, it's easy to see why Poulter's thoughts on the championship have changed through two rounds this year. He actually sat only one shot off Dustin Johnson's lead with two holes to play on Friday, but a triple-bogey, bogey finish saw him fall to 1-over-par and leave him with the five-shot deficit.

Despite the poor finish, Poulter insisted he's very happy to be sitting at 1-over-par through 36 holes at such a notoriously tough championship.

"There's only a couple of U.S. Opens that, if someone offered you that on a Wednesday, where you perhaps wouldn't take it," he said.

Poulter and defending champion Brooks Koepka will be paired together on Saturday in the fourth-to-last group on the course.