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Dubai - Ian Poulter aims to pip his friend Henrik Stenson for runners-up spot on the 2014 European money list with another strong showing at this week's $8 million DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
World number one Rory McIlroy has already won the money list after his nearest rivals fell short at last week's Turkish Airlines Open, but other top places are up for grabs. The leading 15 players will split a $5 million bonus pool.
Poulter sits 13th and is as keen as ever to catch Stenson, with the Swede second heading into Dubai.
Last year, it was a similar situation, only Stenson was gunning for first place on the money list and Poulter was the main challenger.
Stenson held out despite a private wager between the pair and, although no extra money is on the line this time, Poulter's enthusiasm is undimmed.
"Bring it on. Chase the Stenson down again," said Poulter, who is 795 085 euros ($996 600) behind his friend.
Such a gap means Poulter must win in Dubai and Stenson fail to make the top four for the Englishman to catch his buddy.
Poulter was part of Europe's triumphant Ryder Cup team, but in individual events he endured a difficult year until last month.
He had slipped to world number 44, his lowest ranking since 2006, but sixth place at the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai and second spot in Turkey last week lifted him to 26th.
Yet that improvement was also tinged with regret after Poulter squandered a six-stroke lead at halfway in Turkey.
"I was really annoyed, but I'm over it," a smiling Poulter, 38, told reporters. "Hopefully, with a big win this week I put myself back in a position where I salvage something out of 2014 because it was not looking good."
He often mounts a late-season surge after a break in October and wants to recapture that sort of form in April to July too.
"I've tried to analyse it, I don't know what it is," said Poulter. "I just can't take three or four weeks off before long runs (of tournaments) all the time.
"I am going to perhaps take February off, because I'd like to prep as much as I possibly can going into a long stretch of tournaments."
Australian great Greg Norman has contacted Poulter with suggestions on how the Englishman could improve his putting.
"I'd like to review the coverage, just to see if his observations were my observations as well," said Poulter.
"I've worked hard on my putting and I feel like I've made good inroads. I'm walking a fine line of do I mess (experiment) and try something."
