Ian Poulter records a come-from-behind victory at the World Golf Championships – HSBC Champions
Englishman Ian Poulter shot a final-round 65 to record a victory at the World Golf Championships – HSBC Champions, on Sunday, November 4, 2012.
He came from four shots behind in Guangdong and finished his week with a 21-under par 267, to beat Jason Dufner, Scott Piercy, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson by two shots.
The victory was Poulter’s first victory of the season and the second WGC win of his career. Talking to the reporters after winning the title, he said that he was worried about finishing the year without a victory.
However, a victory at the Mission Hills Golf Club’s Olazabal Course marked the fourth consecutive year of his career with a win.
"I've only been one season without a victory and I certainly didn't want to go another one," the 36-year-old said. "As well as I've played this year, it would have been a disappointment personally to have gone that year without winning”.
Entering the final round, Poulter was sharing the fourth position on the leaderboard. A couple of birdies on the second and the third hole allowed him to make a strong charge on the leaderboard.
He then added another two birdies on the seventh and the eighth hole to reach the turn with a four-under par score.
Thereafter, he kept the momentum going into the back nine of the course and carded birdies on the 10th and the 11th hole.
A six-under par score through 11 holes moved him to the top of the leaderboard with a 20-under par overall score. A couple of more birdies on the 14th and the 15th hole strengthened his position.
The 17th hole witnessed him conceded the only bogey of the day. However, no one else in the field managed to come close to him on the top. As a result, Poulter comfortably bagged the 16th professional title of his career.
After his win, he credited his putter for the amazing victory he earned in the last of the four WGCs of the season.
"I've been confident with my putter all year," said Poulter, who went on to explain how he and his team had talked long and hard about how he could bring his match-play instincts to bear in stroke play.
"We decided I had to be fresh for each week, know the course inside out and go out there and be aggressive”.
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