Golf:Ian Poulter might have a world match play title to his name — last year in Arizona — but he made a shocking start to the Volvo-sponsored version in Spain today. Up against Ryder Cup team-mate Francesco Molinari in the first of the group games at Finca Cortesin near Estepona, Poulter lost the first three holes.
On the 471-yard first he pushed his drive into a bunker and after three-putting from the fringe for a bogey five he did not even bother to pick up his ball before marching off to the second tee.
He lost that par three when his Italian opponent holed from around 30 feet for a two and then on the long third Poulter’s second shot hit the rocks and went into the lake left of the green. Molinari was in a bunker for three, but a par five was good enough to increase his lead to three.
Under the new format all was not lost for Poulter even if he was beaten today. Two of the three players in each of the eight groups progress to the last 16 and so the Englishman could even progress if he halved with Scot Paul Lawrie and then won a play-off between them.
In the next two matches of the opening day Masters champion Charl Schwartzel bogeyed the first two holes to go two down to Miguel Angel Jimenez and Spain’s other representative, Alvaro Quiros, went one up when Paul Casey kicked off with a bogey.
Rory McIlroy took an early lead in his meeting with two-time major winner Retief Goosen after a birdie at the second while Graeme McDowell halved the first hole Louis Oosthuizen.
