European Tour bad boy Ian Poulter has been fined for his latest show of petulance - smashing a tee-marker in last week's Mercedes Benz Championship in Cologne.

Tour officials revealed today at The Belfry, where the British Masters begins tomorrow, that Poulter had been penalised for the second round incident at Gut Larchenhoff's 16th tee but refused to divulge how much he had been fined.
   
It is by no means the 31-year-old Englishman's first fine. Last year at the Irish Open he was fined £5,000 (€7,100) for verbally abusing a marshal and in July he was fined for attacking a tee-box in the British Open at Carnoustie.
   
Poulter, who played in the 2004 Ryder Cup, reacted to his latest indiscretion by telling reporters: "If anyone gets angry on the course and does something silly then the Tour are going to do what they do.
   
"If I want to let a bit of my passion show - and I certainly don't want to lose any of my passion for the game - then unfortunately I have to pay for it in the pocket.
   
"It doesn't happen every week but it's part of my make-up. I'm not the sort of person who can play a bad shot and smile, everybody's DNA is different.
   
"But it's not as if I've taken a samurai sword and chopped a few heads off."
   
Poulter admitted he was embarrassed by last year's incident in Ireland, where he was so contrite at swearing at the Carlton House official that he suggested his fine, believed to be the Tour's joint-highest.
   
Poulter will miss next week's Seve Trophy because he is getting married.