US Ryder Cup team mates Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk have suffered shock defeats in the first round of the World Match Play Championship at Wentworth.
World number one Woods, who arrived on the back of a remarkable run of five successive tournament wins, wielded a cold putter all day as he lost 4 & 3 to fellow American Shaun Micheel.
Furyk, elevated to second in the world after his victory at the Canadian Open last week, was beaten by the same margin by Swede Robert Karlsson.
Karlsson, a member of next week's European Ryder Cup side, birdied each of the four par-three holes in his eight-under-par morning round of 64, a feat achieved only twice before in the championship.
Briton Paul Casey marked his debut in the event by hitting six birdies and an eagle in an inspired nine-hole run midway through his match to down world number six Retief Goosen 6 & 4.
New Zealander Michael Campbell, last year's champion, eased past Britain's Simon Khan 3 & 1 while Colin Montgomerie defeated David Howell one up.
Ernie Els's hopes of a record seventh World Match Play title were ended by a 2 & 1 defeat by Argentina's Angel Cabrera. Canadian Mike Weir ousted Australian Adam Scott 3 & 2 while Briton Luke Donald put out Tim Clark of South Africa two up.
Woods, making his second appearance at Wentworth eight years after he was beaten in the final by close friend Mark O'Meara, went one up with a par four at the first but his opponent bounced back with three successive birdies from the third.
A bogey at the sixth by Woods gave the 37-year-old Micheel a three-hole advantage on a West Course soaked by heavy overnight rain.
The British Open and US PGA champion went four down with a bogey at the 15th before pulling one hole back with a birdie at the 18th.
Micheel, the 2003 US PGA champion, went round in 70 while Woods took 33 putts in his level-par 72.
Woods won the opening two holes of the afternoon round with a par-birdie start but it turned out that he was only offering false hope to his fans.
World number 77 Micheel, who finished second behind Woods at last month's U.S. PGA, avenged his Medinah disappointment by restoring his four-hole lead with birdies at the fourth and seventh and an eagle three at the 12th.
Micheel, without a tournament victory this season, plays Donald in the quarter-finals.
Campbell takes on Montgomerie on Friday while Casey meets Weir and Karlsson faces Cabrera.
