Ian Poulter congratulates Stewart Cink in Arizona
The defending champion has been eliminated on the first day by Stewart Cink who is a tough, proven performer in this event, and kept nipping at Poulter's heels all day in the first match out.
The match stayed squared through six holes (both players doubled the sixth, by the way), then Poulter finally took the lead when Cink bogeyed the seventh. The Englishman remained in the lead. When Cink conceded the 14th hole, Poulter was 2 up with four holes to play. But Cink bounced back with a birdie at the drivable par-4 15th.
A Poulter bogey at the 17th -- his approach shot failed to find the green -- squared the match. At the 18th hole, Poulter just missed on a 16-foot birdie putt that would've ended the match. Cink then won the 19th hole when his approach shot at the par-4 first landed inside of four feet.
"I don't know that there's a tougher match play opponent in the field than Ian Poulter," Cink said. "This is a big win for me." Cink's record in this event is now 22-11 while Poulter becomes the first defending champ to be knocked out in the first round since Steve Stricker lost to Chris
DiMarco in 2002.
Poulter said: "I really should have shut the match out, to be honest with you.
"Every credit to him. He holed putts at the right time and that's what you have to do in this format.
"He putted me off the golf course. I missed my chances and therefore I have been punished."
Next opponent for Cink: Y.E. Yang
