After beating Louis Oosthuizen in a tough 2 and 1 match in the final 16 of the 2018 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play on Saturday morning, Ian Poulter thought he was in the Masters field. The top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings after this event will get an invitation to Augusta National in a couple weeks.

Poulter was led to believe that no matter what he did against Kevin Kisner in the quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon, he would be headed down Magnolia Lane. That information was wrong, though. Poulter, who is currently No. 64 in the world, is projected to come in at No. 51 when the new OWGR comes out after the Sunday matches.

"I guess I should never listen to other people," said Poulter after getting blasted by Kisner, 8 and 6. "When you finish a round of golf and the press and everybody telling you you're in the Masters, and then you get a text message 10 minutes before you tee off to correct everybody, to say, 'oh, we've made a mistake, actually, no, that was wrong, you're not in. You need to go and win.'

"Not that that's an excuse or any form or factor, it's a little disappointing. I asked three times, four times, 'are you sure, are you sure, are you sure?' 'Yeah, you're definitely in.' No, I'm not definitely in. So next time I won't listen to other people. I'll do my bit and focus better.

"I can't put that down as an excuse. It would be an excuse if I said it. So it's disappointing to be given the wrong information, but .... that wasn't any part of this afternoon."

Still, Poulter has an opportunity to go to the Houston Open next week and qualify by winning. After playing five grueling matches in Austin this week, he's not sure that's going to happen.

"I don't know yet, I haven't decided," Poulter said. "I'm tired. It's been a long week. It's been a draining week. I don't know. I'll wait until Monday night and if I have the energy then I will."

Poulter vowed to get to the Masters in 2018 after missing it in 2017 during an up and down season. 

"I will make the top 50 before the Masters, I promise," he told Doug Ferguson of the AP in December.

He nearly made good on that, too. Poulter took down Oosthuizen, Kevin Chappell, Daniel Berger and Tommy Fleetwood in consecutive days. He played some of his best golf of the year but ultimately fell one match (and one ranking spot) short. There's always next week, though. Even though there might not be one after that.