Ian Poulter finds himself up against a familiar foe in Webb Simpson when the first round of the WGC-Cadillac Match Play begins in San Francisco.
The Englishman, renowned for his heroics against the USA in Ryder Cups, has been drawn in an otherwise all-American group at TPC Harding Park, and kicks off his campaign on Wednesday with a round-robin contest against former US Open Champion Simpson, who he beat in the Sunday singles in 2012’s Miracle of Medinah and took a half from in last year’s European triumph at Gleneagles.
Poulter, who captured his first World Golf Championships title in this event in 2010, admits he has his work cut out to top a pool that also contains Jimmy Walker and Gary Woodland.
“It's another match play format, which obviously I quite like,” said Poulter.
“Playing in a group of four guys, round robin, one guy out, the fourth moves on. I'm sure there's going to be one happy camper, and quite a few unhappy ones.
“It seems to be an exciting group; there are some great players, just like a lot of the other groups or all the other groups.
“There's no easy match. When you look through the groups there's no easy given matches. We've seen number 64 beat number one in the past. You've got to play your opponent and try and dispatch them, so I'm looking forward to it - it's going to be a good week.
“You can win the first two matches and lose the third and be going home. You've got basically to win all your matches.”
Poulter, who as well as boasting an outstanding Ryder Cup record has won two of his 12 European Tour titles in match-play events, accepts that the one-on-one format suits his nature.
The 38 year old insists mental attributes are as important as anything else, and highlighted Ryder Cup team-mate Graeme McDowell as a potential threat this week.
“Match play is match play, there's ways to win and lose holes,” he added. “And you really are playing your opponents.
“Personally, I like the format. I don't think there's any given advantage to someone that hits it 30 yards past the other one on this golf course.
“Someone who is gutsy, hard, stubborn, ruthless, bull-doggish; that's most of the players in this field.
“On reputation G-Mac is one - he's not one who you'd first probably pick out, but he's a great match player.
“The ruthlessness in there, the will to hang in. Sometimes when people say things aren't possible, it makes you dig in even harder.
“I've certainly had that through my career at certain times and that's where I pull from within to be a tough character.
“Being stubborn, just being relentless, hitting good shots at the right time, holing putts at the right time, just general stubbornness on the golf course, and not rolling over - I think that's probably the hardest bit for people to take when you think you're at the hole and all of a sudden you go and hole a chip shot or a bunker shot or a 30 foot putt or you stiff it from a position where you're not expected to hit a miracle shot, I guess that, in itself, is the bit that winds your opponents up.”
The group format is a change from the previous win or go home set-up, but defending champion Jason Day warned that to accept a defeat in the group stage would be risky.
“I feel like it's that one-on-one format where it's either you play well and win or you don't and you get knocked out,” said the Australian. “Obviously it's kind of a different format this year where you may be able to lose one and sneak through.
“But my mind-set is still the same - I've got to go in here and try to win every match.”
