Mere mortals? Ordinary Joes? Sure, if that's what you want to believe. The jet-set lifestyle of the modern-day tour golfer, though, is perhaps best exemplified by how Ian Poulter - Ryder Cup player, six-time European Tour tournament winner and a Gunner to the bone - will spend his time this evening.

Yesterday, the flamboyant Englishman, probably the nattiest dresser on tour and a man with sufficient hair on his head to do what he pleases with his tresses, was on the range and on the course preparing for the Irish Open at Carton House, an event he hopes will finally kick-start his season and put him on the road towards securing an automatic place on the European Ryder Cup team come September.

This evening, Poulter and an assortment of family and friends will pile into a luxury, seven-seat private jet and make a return flight from Dublin to Paris.

The group's attire, you can be sure, will be predominantly red and white.

As a mad-keen Arsenal supporter, Poulter - whose own sporting commitments this season have limited the number of times he has been able to avail of his season ticket at Highbury - was never going to miss his team's Champions League final with Barcelona.

"I've got a deal with NetJets which allows me to buy a certain amount of hours a year off them, so we are going to jump on that for convenience and get down to Paris quickly, and then afterwards have a car waiting at the stadium to take us directly from there back to the airport. If there is no extra time or penalties, we reckon we should be back in Dublin for midnight," said Poulter.

"I've never done anything like this on the Wednesday of a tournament before. But there was no way I was missing this game for anything."

He's a soccer nut, is Poulter. Prior to last year's FA Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester United, Poulter was a studio guest on Sky's Soccer AM show in London, and then took a helicopter, bringing the match ball with him, for the final in Cardiff.

While Poulter's dash to Paris is important, so too is the Irish Open in terms of galvanising his game.

And especially so in his bid to win a place on Ian Woosnam's team for the K Club, where, incidentally, he is staying this week.

"Everybody is going to find it hard to get in the side because there is an awful lot of money still to be won," observed Poulter, who is currently 22nd in the world points list and 29th in the European points list.

"There's four guys you'd think would be in the side: Harrington, Clarke, Westwood and myself . . . we all need to play very well. But one big win is all it is. I'm playing great, so I don't see why I won't be in the side."

Now, if Thierry Henry and the rest of the Arsenal team had such confidence . . . watch out Barcelona.