Darren Clarke joined a host of big names who tumbled out of the Andersen Consulting Matchplay Championship in California at the first-round stage yesterday, when the Irishman lost by one hole to Andrew Magee.

Out as well went Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood, Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo, thus ending all British interest in the new £3 million tournament, which brings together the game's top 64 players.

Clarke's task was a tall one from the time he lost three of the first six to Magee, who had to do nothing special to establish his firm grip.

The Ulsterman got it back to one by the turn - both were out in three-over-par 39s - and after double-bogeying the 10th Clarke halved the next six, won the 17th with a par four, but lost when Magee got up and down from a bunker behind the final green.

Clarke said: "I kept hoping for a lot better but I just played poorly in general. It hurts to play so badly and lose like that." Like the other first-round losers, Clarke left Las Costa near San Diego with £15,625. Faldo lost to Tiger Woods four and three. For the Englishman, without a solo win for two years, it was another dismal display. The ending was a comedy of errors as he duffed a tee shot on the 204-yard 14th and then made a mess of the 15th as well.

World number one Woods was never behind and never needed to produce his best to go through to a last-32 clash with former United States PGA champion Bob Tway, who crushed Tom Watson six and four.

There was a shock when Faldo's tee shot to the par-three 14th finished in the rough about 100 yards away, but Woods explained afterwards that a telephone had gone off just as Faldo was swinging.

"It was unfortunate some of the things that happened, but did I feel sorry for him - no," said Woods. "He's won six majors and that's something I want to get to. I'm just happy to beat him."

Woods added: "I hit a lot of good shots at crucial times and was able to hang in there and beat a great champion. I was trying to put a lot of pressure on him and I'm relieved to get through."

Montgomerie suffered almost as heavy a defeat, going down five and three to Craig Stadler; Westwood was completely off form as he lost three and two to Argentina's Eduardo Romero; and Woosnam was beaten three and two by Scott Hoch.

Another big casualty was Ernie Els, who never led Paul Azinger and lost on the 18th as well.

Montgomerie, badly heckled during last June's US Open in San Francisco, had to contend with another comment from the crowd just before his match ended.

According to Stadler, a spectator shouted out "You've got one more shot" at the Scot just before he hit his second shot.

"It was not real sporting," said Stadler. "I probably gave him a longer, deeper glare than Monty. Some guy had clapped when he missed a six-foot putt on the 13th as well."

Stadler admitted that he probably got under Montgomerie's collar as well by asking him to hole from little more than a foot on the 11th and then from around four feet two holes later.

"I was told that he gave me a little glare. But there's no love lost in matchplay and it does not bother me," said the American.

Asked about making Montgomerie hole from 12 inches on the 11th, Stadler said: "He'll get over it. And if he doesn't, he won't!

"Monty dug himself into a hole that was hard to get out of. He didn't drive well, didn't hit his irons too well and missed some putts."

Montgomerie restricted his comments to his match rather than the incidents, saying: "He played better on the day - simple as that. He never missed a shot and deserved to win.

"He would have beaten most players today. He's a San Diego local boy and good luck to him. If he continues to play like that he could go all the way."

Stadler led from the moment he got up and down from sand at the long second for birdie and Montgomerie, just off the green, missed from six feet just as he had on the first for a win.

The gap was five by the 10th, Montgomerie chipped in to stay alive at the 14th, but then was twice in the rough on the 378-yard next and conceded without Stadler having to putt.

Westwood led twice on the front nine but also four-putted the fourth and the match turned when Romero took the seventh and eighth to go in front.

The next four were shared, then the Argentinian won the 13th and 14th as Westwood failed to rise to the occasion on a course he admitted he did not like for its wide fairways.

"My whole game was off - everything," said the 25-year-old from Worksop. "I don't know what to put it down to. I'm going home for two weeks off."

Romero said: "Lee played terrible. His second shots were bad and he putted terribly. That happens in matchplay."

Woosnam led after five holes but Hoch then won six of the next seven. The Welshman did get back the 13th and 15th but had left himself too much to do.

There were some European successes, however. Patrik Sjoland thrashed Jim Furyk five and three, Bernhard Langer repeated his 1997 Ryder Cup victory over Brad Faxon, this time winning four and two, and Thomas Bjorn beat British Open runner-up Brian Watts on the last after being one down with three to play. It was the first time he led.

Els got back on terms with Azinger on three separate occasions but driving into the rough down the 18th was a mistake from which he could not recover.