GOLF: Rory McIlroy will go into the second round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship later today trying to block out any thoughts of a potential dream encounter with Tiger Woods.

If the Northern Ireland world number 16 defeats American Hunter Mahan at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, world number one Woods could be waiting for him in the third round if he gets past South Africa’s Tim Clark.

The 19-year-old is determined to put that thought on hold just a little while longer, however.

“That’s a long way off for the minute,” McIlroy said. “But we’ll see what happens. I don’t know how my (second round) match is going to go. And all I can do is concentrate on that.

“And then Tiger has to get through his second round match as well. And obviously he seems to be playing pretty well.”

Dubai Desert Classic winner McIlroy, who is playing his first tournament as a professional in the United States, made a great start in Arizona with a 2 and 1 defeat of South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen to set up his date (7.15pm Irish time) with US Ryder Cup star Mahan, who beat Canada’s Mike Weir one up.

The American is looking forward to the encounter.

“It should be exciting,” Mahan said. “I don’t know much about him, but I know he’s a great player, a young European player, probably going to be a Ryder Cupper very soon, so looking forward to it.”

While McIlroy hit the ground running in the Arizona desert, Pádraig Harrington ran into trouble as he suffered an upset first-round loss to American Pat Perez.

Harrington, who was trying to finish his four-week stint in America on a high after two missed cuts, will instead head home to Ireland ruing a one-hole defeat he felt turned against him on the front nine.

“I lost it on the fifth hole,” Harrington said. “I missed a putt there and made a terrible five there from the middle of the fairway when he was in trouble.

“When I look back everything after that was a bit of a struggle. I made it tough for myself right there. I had a chance at the last but the damage was done on that fifth hole.

“It is tough in match play. I would like to play more golf as I think my game is right there but I didn’t give myself the chances today and I was not as sharp as I could have been.

“But that one spot was where it all went away.”

Graeme MCDowell was also knocked out in the first round when the Portrush pro lost 3 and 1 to former Masters champion Zach Johnson.