IAN Poulter, beaten by Tiger Woods in his first ever Ryder Cup match, finally has the chance for revenge at Celtic Manor today.

And it is happening because European captain Colin Montgomerie thinks his opposite number Corey Pavin has moved Woods – without a topthree finish since his sex scandal – out of the main firing line.

‘‘Tiger being hidden is a different move,’’ said Montgomerie, who expected the world number one to go first or last in the opening fourball session.

‘‘I don’t know whether Tiger asked for that.’’ Whatever the reason, Poulter is simply thrilled and on his Twitter site said: ‘‘I’ve never been so excited to play a Ryder Cup match.

‘‘Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker v Poults and Fish (cup newcomer Ross Fisher). The house is about to come down!’’ Poulter, who with Darren Clarke was crushed 4&3 by Woods and Chris Riley in Detroit six years ago, will this time be with his World Cup partner last November and the other current holder of a World Match Play title.

That was no surprise and nor was the fact that the world number one has been paired with Stricker. They won four points out of four at last year’s Presidents Cup.

But the fact remains that Woods, who missed the 2008 clash through injury, led America off on his three previous appearances.

Asked how much Poulter will be relishing the prospect European captain Colin Montgomerie said: ‘‘Ian relishes every prospect. He left the (opening ceremony) stage anxious to get going. He can’t wait for 8.15am.’’ The 38th contest and the first on Welsh soil begins at 7.45am with Lee Westwood and German rookie Martin Kaymer -–the two highestranked players on the home side – against Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.

Westwood, returning to the game after seven weeks recovering from a torn calf muscle, urged Montgomerie to start with him.

‘‘I feel the honour should be given to Lee and him asking for that position gave me no option,’’ the captain said.

Mickelson, who next Monday will lose the world number two spot to the Worksop golfer, has met Westwood four times before. He has lost two, halved one and won only once.

Pavin denied he had moved Woods because a defeat for him in the first match would give Europe the momentum.

‘‘I thought Phil and Dustin are playing great golf. Phil likes to get out there and Dustin has been chomping at the bit too.’’ Kaymer, golf’s newest major champion, becomes the first European debutant to play in the opening clash since Scot Paul Lawrie – Open champion at the time – partnered Montgomerie in Boston 11 years ago.

Next comes Graeme Mc- Dowell and Rory McIlroy against Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar.

The Northern Ireland duo were many people’s choice to start things off, mainly on the back on winning all three times they played there for Britain and Ireland last year.

But Montgomerie insisted that the final decision on that was because of Westwood rather than an attempt to move McIlroy out of the way of Woods following the attention given this week to a first duel between the two.

‘‘No, it wasn’t that at all,’’ said Montgomerie. ‘‘I don’t make any statement regarding that, but I think it’s good actually that Rory can get a game under his belt without Tiger Woods.”