'Killer instinct' fuels Poulter power
Englishman draws on his heroic Ryder Cup match-play grit to see off Mickelson and win the WGC-HSBC Champions event by two strokes
Ian Poulter summoned his Ryder Cup "killer instinct" yesterday to see off Phil Mickelson and win the WGC-HSBC Champions by two shots at Mission Hills.
Poulter drove Europe to victory over Mickelson's Americans at Medinah, but was winless in individual events this season with critics questioning why he couldn't emulate his match-play form in strokeplay.
But he showed the steel he did in winning four matches out of four for Europe as he came from four shots behind to post a 65 for 21-under-par total at the Olazabal Course, despite the pressure Mickelson, in the group behind, was exerting.
"Everyone keeps asking me why I play so well in match play but don't perform in strokeplay," said the 36-year-old, the first Englishman to win two WGC events after his 2010 Accenture Match Play Championship win. "I think I do perform well but obviously don't have that killer instinct that I have sometimes in match play and that's a mindset that I need to build up.
"I've done exactly that this week … it's all added up into a victory. I guess I know I can do it in strokeplay, it's just a case of doing it week-in, week-out."
Poulter's 21-under total was the new low score for the tournament and the third-lowest total by a winner in WGC history. He pocketed US$1.2 million, but had spent the winnings last week before they were even earned: "Yes it was expensive, and yes it's a vehicle."
Poulter said he was still drawing inspiration from the Ryder Cup and the next step is to try to win a major. "I'm definitely riding that wave, and hopefully I can continue with the confidence that I've got from the Ryder Cup to just bottle as much of it as I possibly can and use that in strokeplay events.