Ian Poulter must be licking his chops.

The self confident Englishman must be looking at the leaderboard at the halfway stage of The Players Championship and thinking to himself: "if not now, then when?"

All around him he sees his countrymen and rivals who have won tournaments in the US. Luke Donald did so a few years ago. Paul Casey did so in Houston last month. Alex Cejka, with whom Poulter played in Europe, has gone close a couple of times in the US.

Is this my time? Poulter must have thought to himself on Friday night as he surveyed the position he found himself in after 36 holes. Ahead of him was Cejka, another who learned his professional golf on the tour in Europe, the handsome trophy given to the winner as well as a cheque for $1.71m.

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Cejka was the only one ahead of Poulter. No one else. Poulter was in second place, two strokes behind Cejka, two strokes ahead of a posse of players including Angel Cabrera, the Masters champion.

You would think he would be under pressure but Poulter admits that nothing could match the pressure he felt in last year's Ryder Cup. Picked somewhat controversially by Europe captain Nick Faldo, Poulter repaid his captain's faith by winning three of his four fourballs and foursomes matches and then his singles, too. "I can't handle more pressure than that," Poulter said.

The next two days will tell us how truthful a remark that was. The peacock of Europe will not lack for confidence because he never lacks in confidence. Nine years ago when he was a chubby assistant pro at Leighton Buzzard golf club in England he was selling Mars bars while openly speaking of believing he was good enough to play the pro tour and win tournaments.

One suspects he was talking of events on the European Tour. But he has come so far since then that he has every right to think he can win in the US.

If not now, when?

If not me, then who?