Date: November 13, 2012
Author: Hamish Jones / Golf Australia

With clubs back, Poulter relaxed and ready

Ian Poulter&aposs golf clubs spent longer in Los Angeles than he did and only arrived in Melbourne on Tuesday but the World Number 16 and defending Talisker Masters champion feels it was a stroke of luck. “I think it&aposs a result actually looking back on it. I mean, I think we had 50 mile an hour winds yesterday or 40 mile an hour winds, or kilometres an hour, however you guys want to look at it. My caddy thinks it&aposs a result that the clubs got stuck in LA because how well are you really going to practice once you&aposve just got off a long flight like that,” Poulter said. The Englishman and Ryder Cup hero is shooting for two victories in as many starts and will have his first experience of Kingston Heath on Wednesday during the tournament Pro-Am. “I&aposll take my first look at the course tomorrow. I didn&apost do anything different last year when I played. I played the Pro-Am, and I won,” Poulter said. It&aposs been a key part of Poulter&aposs philosphy and strategy throughout 2012 in a bid to ensure he&aposs fresh by the time the weekend arrives. “I haven&apost played two practice rounds all year or nor have I in the last couple of years, so I don&apost intend to change the way I&aposve played or certainly done my preparations for any tournament,” Poulter said. “Two weeks ago I was in China and I sit on a plane and fly all the way back to Orlando and have five days there, then get on a plane and fly 20 odd hours to come here and I&aposm not really going to stress my body too hard because I know I&aposm going to be tired at the end of the week and it&aposs a week that I want to win,” he added. Poulter arrives in Australia in good form following his win in China, one of nine top 10 finishes in 2012. A Major Championship has eluded him to date, an accomplishment that still nags on his mind. “(It&aposs) my second WGC win, I&aposm here to stay and I guess, when I play well, I can win tournaments; I know that. If it&aposs helped other people realise that, then so be it, that&aposs great, but I know I can win tournaments when I play well.” “Where do I go from here? I need to win a Major, simple. It burns,” Poutler said.