Ian Poulter admits that successfully defending his WGC-HSBC Champions trophy in Shanghai this week will be a tough ask.
The Englishman is up against a star-studded field bursting at the seams with international golfing talent.
Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jason Dufner, Henrik Stenson, Brandt Snedeker, Luke Donald and many more will all be vying for the lucrative first prize.
On Tuesday, Poulter, Dufner, Mickelson, Rose and McIlroy were joined by a group of Chinese Opera performers at a ceremony overlooking Shanghai's famous riverfront.
The golfers swapped their clubs for traditional swords, spears and halbreds while draped in colourful, flowing cloaks.
"HSBC always do something fun for us in the city where we are.
It's nice to see a bit of the culture of the city we are in. It shows the players commitment to doing different things and enjoy the local culture," said Poulter.
"It is going to be a tall order to defend my title this year against such a strong field. Justin, Phil and Jason won the three most recent majors and are obviously the in-form guys at the moment."
"I love playing in China and really feed off the enthusiasm and encouragement I get from the fans here, so whatever happens, I know it will be a great week."
Rose added: "It's always nice when you come to a country with such a different culture like there is in China to get a feel for it, with the local dance and dress. That is something that you take away with you and it makes the trip really special."
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