LIV GOLF MEXICO CITY

April 16, 2026

Ian Poulter

Club de Golf Chapultepec

Majesticks GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Ian, welcome to the media center. Great round today, great game around the greens. Tell us the importance of short game on this course.

IAN POULTER: Yeah, short game is definitely one that you would need around this golf course. It's tricky to hit it exactly where you want to hit it, to leave yourself a perfect putt. When you're being aggressive and you miss a couple of greens, then you put yourself under pressure.

But hitting good chip shots it definitely key, and I did it a couple of times today when I was a little bit out of position. But more importantly, I actually played great golf today. Very happy to be in the house. Shame to bogey the last. I was right in the middle of the fairway with a perfect number in and hit a lovely shank. But it's this great game that we play.

Q. You hit a great sand shot on 17 for birdie. Can you take us through that?

IAN POULTER: Yeah, again, a little bit out of position in the front bunker there, and I'm adjusting this week, as well. I've got contact lenses in for the first time in 20 years, so I've got a little bit of depth perception going on, and it was tricky. But I executed a lovely 56-degree bunker shot there. It landed probably 12 feet short of the pin, and obviously ran up there -- I couldn't see it go in, which would have been nice. But look, I was out of position, and I certainly nicked one there for sure.

Q. What's it been like the first five tournaments? Did you find something since South Africa that you brought into this week?

IAN POULTER: No. The first part is always a bit frustrating, to be honest. I've worked really hard in the off-season, tried to work really hard from 125 to 175 and statistics say that I was -- I think I'm fourth in the field from that distance over the first five events. Not holing putts is something that's been frustrating me, hence I'm now wearing contact lenses.

I had Lasik surgery 15, 20 years ago and the edges got off, so I'm kind of in this game at the minute of just searching to find out an answer. Is it my stroke? No, go away, have a look at my stroke, my stroke feels pretty good. Is it my eyes? Is it my optics? Am I reading it right? Am I hitting putts on the right lines?

We've played this game for a long time. We're always searching for perfection. I don't know what perfection is. I'm going to keep looking. If it's contact lenses for now and that's making me be at the right end of the leaderboard, then that's fantastic.

Q. Would you say that you had -- you felt there was a noticeable difference with the contact lenses in today?

IAN POULTER: Yes and no. I took my sunglasses off for one shot because the light was dimming just a little bit and then I hit a shank on my last hole. It's tricky; I blink -- and that's why I went to Lasik surgery so long ago because every time I blink, the contact lenses move just slightly. So we're at altitude, trying to stay hydrated so my eyes -- I was putting drops in my eyes today.

It's a lot of adjustment. The optics of standing over a ball looks a little bit different. But I have to try something.

Q. What do you think about the course? What would you describe would be your favorite part of the course? Six birdies for you today. The second one, what is the most challenging part of playing here in Mexico City?

IAN POULTER: I think the most challenging bit on this golf course is the elevation change. 7800 feet, the ball is traveling a long way, and that's very tricky to calculate, so you must come out of the fairway when you hit it in the rough. It's leaving you difficult shots around the green, and obviously it's not easy from then in.

The challenges on this course, poa annua greens are notoriously a little bit bumpy so guys are going to get frustrated out there on the golf course because just around the hole the ball starts to move around a little bit.

What do I like about this place? It's a great challenge. It's a good test. You've got drivable par-4s. We've got great par-3s. Par-5s we can reach in two. They've made some changes this year and added some distance to the first hole. So they've done a lot of good things to this golf course. It's great to be back here playing some nice golf.

Q. We did a study last year and we found out that Majesticks merchandise and gear were one of the most sold here in Mexico City --

IAN POULTER: I love that.

Q. I know this is not JCB, your home tournament, but how special would it be not only for you to be one of the important players here but as a Majesticks team to get a team win here?

IAN POULTER: The best thing about traveling with LIV Golf, we travel to incredible countries. We take this great game of golf internationally. This is another great venue. I come here, I have tons of support. I have Mexican friends. I don't know if it's the passion I keep hearing, I love your car collection, I love your car collection, so they obviously appreciate nice cars, but they appreciate good golf, as well.

I think for me, it's great to see -- selfishly, myself up there on the board, secondly, the team are up there on the board, which is really great news, and just seeing so many happy faces on the golf course. There's so many kids around the golf course today in the tented village area and coming up and asking for autographs and golf balls, and I'm like, I'm going to run out of golf balls if I keep giving so many away.

It's great to be in Mexico. I love being here. I think everyone here is pretty happy to be here.