Tuesday 20 March 2018 21:19, UK
Tommy Fleetwood is relishing the chance to take on match play "ninja" Ian Poulter after the English pair were drawn in the same group for the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
Fleetwood faces the Ryder Cup legend in the opening match of group nine on Wednesday, with 2010 champion Poulter needing to win his group and then reach the quarter-finals to have any chance of breaking into the world's top 50 and qualify for the Masters.
"If I was picking a group to watch, I think that would be a good one to watch," said Fleetwood, who plays Kevin Chappell on Thursday and Daniel Berger in his final group match on Friday.
"My first two years on Tour, we didn't really cross paths that much. And just in the last couple of years, I've sort of got to know him a little bit better and spent more time with him. But it would be great playing against him.
"He has been described as a match play ninja, and I've never really gone up against a ninja before in my life, so it will be a new experience."
The most intriguing group of the draw appears to be group four, in which Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup partners Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed will clash on Friday while former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and Dubai Desert Classic winner Haotong Li will be hoping to upstage the two star Americans.
A rejuvenated Rory McIlroy will face Peter Uihlein in his opening match on Wednesday in a group which also includes Brian Harmon and Jhonattan Vegas, while top seed and defending champion Dustin Johnson plays Bernd Wiesberger, Adam Hadwin and Kevin Kisner.
Sixth-seed McIlroy has been drawn in the same bracket at world No 3 Jon Rahm, who was runner-up to Johnson in a thrilling final in Austin last year and takes on Keegan Bradley, Chez Reavie and Kiradech Aphibarnrat in his group.
Paul Casey, meanwhile, will be looking to build on his Valspar Championship win and enhance his claims for a Ryder Cup place, although the 10th seed faces what could be his group's pivotal match against fellow Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick.
Casey has an excellent record in this event and was runner-up two years in a row, losing to Geoff Ogilvy in 2009 before being pipped by Poulter a year later when the competition was staged in Arizona, but he has tempered his expectations for the week ahead after arriving from England on Monday.
"I'm feeling good, but I'm very unprepared this week," said Casey. "I traveled to England last week and just arrived back on Monday, which might be a good thing, but my expectations are moderate. I'm confident, but not well prepared, so I feel like I've got a lot of work to do.
"I tried to do a lot of work on Monday as I hadn't hit golf balls in a week. But it felt good and obviously the form is strong. If there's a format which will allow me to get away with a mistake or two, this would be the one. So, yes. I've talked myself down, actually."
