Poulter looking after number one
It might be the first leg of Colin Montgomerie’s Order of Merit showdown with Michael Campbell today, but Ian Poulter has other things on his mind – like getting his own career moving in the right direction again.
Poulter is the defending champion in the Volvo Masters at Valderrama, where New Zealander Campbell has to finish in the top five just to have a chance of wiping out Montgomerie’s lead.
“I’m not interested in the two, to be honest,” Poulter said when asked who his money was on.
“That’s not my goal, is it? My goal this week is 100% focused on me. I’m not bothered either way who wins the Order of Merit. Good luck to the pair of them.”
Poulter has only one other event left this year – the HSBC Champions Tournament in Shanghai in a fortnight – and his primary target is to climb from his current 56th in the world back into the top 50 and therefore secure a return to the Masters at Augusta in April.
Since he began the year 35th he does not need telling that the season has not been the one he hoped for.
“I’m massively disappointed, but it hasn’t been horrific,” added the 29-year-old. “All is not lost.
“My game is pretty much in shape, but like last year let’s hope I’ve saved the best until last.
“I don’t want to bore you too much with all the ins and outs, but I’ve had a very difficult year. You learn by your mistakes and I got way too involved with having two houses built (one in Florida, the other near Milton Keynes).
“I’m not making excuses for any bad performance, but I’ll give you an example. I was doing the final transaction on one house at 5am on the morning of the first round in the Match Play in San Diego.”
That week was actually the best of Poulter’s season – he reached the semi-finals – but to explain that he commented: “It was probably the sheer fright of all that money that I had to go and win some.
“Without realising it at the time I think it possibly affected my golf.”
He is planning 10 weeks off over the winter, but in that time intends working harder than ever beore on his swing and his fitness.
“I’m going to go through a pretty hefty routine of up at 6am, in the gym for a couple of hours, then hit balls for three hours. That way I can get my day done by lunchtime and enjoy time with Katie and the kids.”
Just 55 players are in this week’s field and, since they will tee off in reverse money list order, Campbell and Montgomerie are the last pair out at 2.10pm local time (1.10pm Irish time).
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