Ian Poulter dreams high for 2010 Dubai World Golf Championship
Ian Poulter is hungry for the world number one rank and he will do anything to get to that.
The world number 11 has been practicing some high jumps. First, he leaped from 14th place to 11th and now he is targeting the top most spot of the world rankings. Ian Poulter won the USB Hong Kong Open in Asia and its prize money earned
him a new height. With the number one spot now within reach of a few million dollars, Poulter is hopeful that he might be the one to override Lee Westwood.
Apart from the high hopes, the veteran is cheeky enough to make huge claims. Earlier, Poulter had claimed that he was the greatest threat for Tiger Woods. He made this claim two years back and within 24 months, he reached the top 10 of the rankings to fulfil
his bid. To his surprise, his Ryder Cup partner Lee Westwood seized the rank but with physical fitness issues, he will not be able to retain the throne for long. Poulter understands it well and so he is gearing himself up for a conquest.
The golfer from Hitchin carded a one-stroke victory over Simon Dyson and Matteo Manassero at UBS Hong Kong Open to take his first step towards his destiny. If he is successful in taking Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Graeme Mc Dowell down, the Englishman
will automatically reach the greatest height.
The 34-year-old has a clear strategy defined for reaching that goal. Speaking to the press, Poulter said, "If anybody in the top 10 plays well for a period of eight weeks, they have a great chance to move up in the rankings. There are big tournaments to
be played week in, week out and huge points for that. I am not saying, 'I'm going to get to No.1. I tried that once before and it did not work. I'll just try winning next week and see how high I can go."
The player with a weird dressing sense has a fair idea of the amount of threat he will face in Dubai. Huge names of golf will be teeing off. Poulter will have to eradicate Graeme Mc Dowell on the first step. G-Mac is number two on the Race to Dubai and if
he wins the massive prize money, then he will automatically run down the world number one. The second opponent will be Martin Kaymer. The German is the leader in the Race to Dubai and he is known of striking when the other party is least expecting. The worse
of the adversaries is Lee Westwood. The world number one set ablaze the Celtic Manor and chances are that he will repeat the performance once again.
However, looking at Poulter’s past performance, a trend is observed. The veteran finished 13th in HSBC Champion, 6th in Barclays Singapore Open and won the Hong Kong Open. There has been considerable improvement in his game, but the
change emerged in Asia. How will he tackle the greens in Dubai is the crucial question that needs to be answered for now?
Last year, Poulter took a share in the lead in the second round of the Dubai World Championship 2009, but failed to reach the top. Moreover, he does not hold a record of any victory on the soil of Dubai, which means conditions can turn against his favour
in Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Stakes are high, the player might take a lead in a round, but will he win the title along with the number one rank is left on the weather and the putter. Despite all odds, Ian Poulter is eyeing the upcoming tournament to show the world that he indeed is
the greatest threat for Tiger Woods.
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