Golf:Graeme McDowell booked his place in the second round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship before the likes of Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood had played a handful of shots in Tucson today.
After a 30-minute delay for frost, McDowell, one of the stars of Europe’s Ryder Cup win last October, dispatched American Heath Slocum by a 4&3 margin. It threatened to be an even bigger hammering when the US Open champion took five of the first seven holes.
Europe’s Ryder Cup hero of Celtic Manor drove another nail into Slocum’s coffin by holing from a bunker for a half at the long 13th. That kept him five ahead and although he lost the next hole McDowell clinched only his second win in six games at the event on the 15th green and he will face Ross Fisher in the second round.
“It was reasonably straightforward,” stated US Open champion McDowell, the fifth seed. “Heath didn’t have his best day and for a change I played nicely and got the job done.”
Rory McIlroy chipped in for eagle at the 393-yard fourth to go one up on Jonathan Byrd, winner of the PGA Tour’s opening event this season. Neither player was at their best – McIlroy had three bogeys on the front nine – but Byrd handed the Holywood star both the 15th and 16th holes to go down 4&2.
The win was all the more satisfying because the ‘Golf Channel’ had tipped him to lose.
“It obviously gives you a little extra to go out and prove them wrong,” said the 21-year-old. “I felt if I played my game I would be tough to beat.”
McIlroy has another American, Ben Crane, in the second round.
Luke Donald drew first blood on the first day with a crushing 6&5 victory over American Charley Hoffman.Donald birdied three of the first eight holes in dazzling sunshine to go five up on Hoffman at Dove Mountain's Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.
The stumbling American then dropped his fifth shot of the day at the par-four ninth, after missing the green to the right with an aggressive approach, to trail by six at the turn. Although Hoffman won his only hole with an eagle at the par-five 11th, the rock-steady Donald sealed victory on the 13th green where he and his opponent carded matching pars.
"Certainly he could have played but I will take the win," a smiling Donald said greenside after his one-sided triumph in the fifth match out.
Defending champion Ian Poulter crashed out on the opening day and last year’s runner-up Paul Casey breathed a huge sigh of relief that he did not join him. Twelfth seed Poulter, two up with six to play, lost on the first extra hole to 2009 British Open champion Stewart Cink.
Then sixth seed Casey, who has reached the last two finals in the event, had to go to sudden death as well, but survived when Australian left-hander Richard Green three-putted the 19th.
Poulter said: “I really should have shut the match out, to be honest with you. Every credit to him. He holed putts at the right time and that’s what you have to do in this format. He putted me off the golf course. I missed my chances and therefore I have been punished.”
Casey commented: “I just never got it going. I didn’t birdie any par five — it really was pretty poor. I made a real botch of the 17th, but Richard kind of handed it to me on the 19th.”
Ernie Els came back from three down after three to beat Jeff Overton at the 19th, while Dubai Desert Classic winner Alvaro Quiros went out at the 20th to Korean YE Yang.
Woods was kept waiting because of games not being settled in regulation play, but when he did finally get under way against Thomas Bjorn he immediately bogeyed and fell one down.
In a perfect illustration of his recent form Woods then birdied the second and then hit a shocker into almost the middle of the lake on the short third. He trailed by one at the turn, while Westwood was one up after six.
Harrington was three down on Geoff Ogilvy at the turn after struggling with his game against the two-time former champion.
