ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

January 20, 2022

Ian Poulter

Yas Links

Quick Quotes

IAN POULTER: Had opportunities but just disappointing not to birdie the par 5 on the front side, which I should have done. I mean, I was getting there with 5-iron. Hold rolled it down there and missed it. Game is good. Birthday was last week, 46, and shooting a nice score. It's all good.

Q. So many players talk about the unknown quantity of the first round here. What were your feelings as you teed it up?

IAN POULTER: I felt good about preparation. I took a really nice kind of break. I went in the gym very early into the break. I picked up a bad back spasm which wouldn't let go for five weeks.

Played the QBE shootout in the middle of that which was annoying and I had to rest, fully rest, no playing golf, no hitting shots. Just treatment and pure rest.

I think when I look back and realise from June 15 we've played -- June 15, 2020, we haven't stopped, really. Haven't had much of a break. Same with you guys. We've been on the road for a long time and at 46 your body says you need a rest, so I took a rest.

I went back to practising, went to Bahamas late December with the family and played a couple rounds of golf there and that was it. I kind of practised early January back home and come out feeling pretty fresh.

Q. That obviously reinvigorates the appetite for another year on Tour presumably?

IAN POULTER: Trying to keep Luke from beating me is the biggest motivation I've got in the game. That's fun for me, the opportunities I get to play with him, which doesn't come around too often; he's busy, I'm busy.

So you know, holding him at bay, still. He's really close. He's really close. We've tied the last few times, so it's really annoying, because now he hits it 30 past me. It's annoying him but it's actually self-motivating me.

Q. And bringing it back to this week, a lot of wind in the forecast for tomorrow but a lovely platform to take into the rest of the week.

IAN POULTER: It's good, I started off the round really nicely. I hit great golf shots. I feel fresh. I feel rested. I've got a really busy schedule coming up. I'm playing seven of the first eight weeks. And I'm not in the Masters, and that's really annoying. And to not have that done, like I should have had that done at the back end of last year when I should have really taken care of it in a tournament where I was lying top 10 and missed the cut, that was terrible. I was tired. I needed a break.

I've come back, I feel fresh, and I'm going to need to stay fresh to obviously give myself a chance to play well early April.