Ian Poulter announced his withdrawal from the Singapore Open today after failing to get a replacement driver in time for the tee-off of the Asian Tour event. Poulter had his driver stolen during the HSBC Champions in Shanghai last week and would not have received a replacement before the end of the second round on Friday evening.
As a result, Poulter opted not to play in the €4 million event, the richest national open in Asia.
"I am really gutted. I have been thinking about it for four hours and I have decided to withdraw because my new driver will not arrive on time," said Poulter.
"It is disappointing because I did not come all this way not to play. But with so many world ranking points at stake, if I played badly I may have lost ground."
Tournament organisers announced Anirban Lahiri of India will take Poulter's place in the field.
Ernie Els will be hoping to shake off the disappointment of contrasting failures he suffered in the previous two years when he takes a third tilt at the event.
The world number 11 enjoyed a morale-boosting victory in Morocco last week and the 39-year-old will want to carry that form forward to the demanding Serapong Course layout.
Teeing off against the best golfers in Asia and a host of international players including Padraig Harrington, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and K.J. Choi, the South African will be considered one of the favourites.
In 2006, Els lost out to Scott in a play-off but failed to make the cut at last year's tournament, won by Angel Cabrera, after suffering from illness during the opening two rounds.
"I've experienced mixed fortunes the last two years," Els said. "I like this tournament and I like the course at Sentosa Golf Club, so I'm looking forward to teeing it up here again. I've played quite a few tournaments in Asia and believe me, this is the best.
"This whole package and a significant prize fund is what helps attract the quality star players from around the world. I'm happy to be here and I know all these guys are, too."
Scott's 2006 victory was his second in succession and the 28-year-old from Adelaide arrives in Southeast Asia seeking to become the first player to record a hat-trick of Singapore Open titles.
"It's been a happy hunting ground for me here," Scott said. "Whenever you come back to a place where you've played well, you get good vibes. I'm certainly looking to turn my game around a little bit and it's good to have the positive feelings.
"The first year, I really felt like the course fits my eye well. I hit a lot of good shots then and it was a really tough set-up.
"Ever since, I've always felt confident coming here. Whenever you win a tournament, not only do you get the good feelings, you have the pride to want to play well. My goal is to win this week."
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