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VOLVO MASTERS


October 27, 2005


Ian Poulter


SOTOGRANDE, SPAIN

GORDON SIMPSON: Ian, you said yesterday that the real Ian Poulter wasn't very far away and I think he emerged on the course today.

IAN POULTER: Yeah, I like being on this golf course. As I said yesterday, I love playing this golf course, and I just went out there, felt very comfortable yesterday afternoon. I felt even more comfortable today. I hit the ball very, very solid. One blemish on the score card; that was a 3 putt from the fringe of the green on 5.

Apart from that, I played very, very nicely.

GORDON SIMPSON: Didn't seem to be a very easy day.

IAN POULTER: Yeah, again, easterly wind, and that's probably the trickiest wind on this golf course. You have a couple of par 3s, which are playing very, very tricky. 17 is downwind; you think you can get on there in two. I just laid it up. That's a shot that probably a few guys will take on.

Q. You said you were going to do it. You must, therefore, be delighted that you've started the way you have.

IAN POULTER: A bit better than last year, four better than last year I think, on the first day. I'm very happy. Obviously just nice to get off to a decent start where last year I was 3 over par after nine holes, and this year I'm a couple under par and that makes a massive difference. You can go out there and relax and just keep hitting the ball.

Q. You don't use a sports psychologist, do you?

IAN POULTER: No, I don't need one. (Laughter).

Q. How do you gear yourself up?

IAN POULTER: I don't want to tell anybody. I have my ways. I give myself a bollocking regularly.

Q. You give yourself one, when?

IAN POULTER: Last week, the week before, the week before.

Q. The opposite way, as well, when last year you came into this event saying that you needed a win to maintain your record and you have obviously come in the same frame of mind?

IAN POULTER: I've got no other option than to win this week. It was exactly the same last year. I had to win. There's no other focus on apart from winning this golf tournament and I guess that's a lesson I've got to learn every single week, tell myself I have to win the golf tournament. I'm sure Tiger does every week. I'm sure his expectations are very, very high, and I think a lot of people could probably learn from that.

I've put myself in a position, again, this year, where I have to win to keep my record going. It's pretty easy. I mean, it's one word, you know, is win. Otherwise, it doesn't continue.

Q. You mean the winning one event every year since you've been a pro?

IAN POULTER: Yeah, I have to win. I feel I have to win. I'm sure a lot of guys don't, but I do.

Q. You said you don't really care which have the two wins the Order of Merit, but do you have any problem with the fact that we're probably paying possibly even more attention to that than to the top of the leaderboard?

IAN POULTER: I really don't care on Monday morning what the headlines in the paper say, whether Monty wins or Campbell wins, I just want to go and do my job and I don't want to get enrolled into their little battle for this week. They have got their own problems. I've got my problems, and I'm just worrying about myself. Might sound a bit selfish, but it's not. I'm sure that's what awe sports psychologist would say. (Laughter).

Q. Have you thought of setting up a practice for a few other players?

IAN POULTER: (Laughing).

GORDON SIMPSON: Thanks very much.

End of FastScripts.
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