THOMAS BJORN (16) def. TIGER WOODS (1), 19 holes

Woods, a three-time Match Play winner, suffered just his second first-round loss in this event. Wednesday's loss is not as much a shocker as his 2002 loss to Peter O'Malley. After all, Woods currently is going through swing changes that have yet to translate into consistent performance on the course, while Bjorn came in with momentum after a recent win at the Qatar Masters. Woods did make a clutch birdie putt at the 18th hole to extend the match, but any momentum was quickly snuffed out with his ensuing drive at the 19th hole (the par-4 first). Woods' tee shot sailed right of the fairway into the heavy brush, and he couldn't hack his way out with his second shot. He finally found the fairway with his third shot, but he missed an 18-footer for bogey that would have kept him in the match. "Disappointing, very disappointing," Woods said. "I had all the momentum going down 18 and just gave it away." As disappointing as the last hole was for Woods, he will also look back on his start with frustration. He opened with a bogey, bounced back with a birdie, then followed with a double bogey at the third and a bogey at the fifth to find himself 2-down. But Bjorn couldn't hold the lead in a match that didn't produce many style points. "It was one of those days on the golf course where we're not proud of the way we played," Bjorn said, "but I'm proud of the way I hung in there."

Next opponent for Bjorn: Geoff Ogilvy

 

                GEOFF OGILVY (8) def. PADRAIG HARRINGTON (9), 4 and 3        

In a match of big-name heavyweights, Ogilvy didn't need to play his best to beat the Irishman. Ogilvy, a two-time winner in this event, was 3 up through nine holes even though he had just one birdie on his card. Harrington, meanwhile, failed to produce a birdie all day as he bowed out in the first round for the third consecutive year. "Paddy didn't have his best today," Ogilvy said. "He let me off the hook." Ogilvy essentially sealed the deal with an eagle on the par-5 13th when he rolled in a putt from 13 feet. That put him 4 up, and with Harrington unable to generate anything positive, Ogilvy strolled to the finish.

Next opponent for Ogilvy: Thomas Bjorn

 

                MARK WILSON (13) def. DUSTIN JOHNSON (4), 19 holes               

Dustin Johnson has the bigger drivers, but Mark Wilson has the bigger momentum right now, and that served him well in pulling off the upset. Wilson already has won twice on the PGA TOUR and he didn't get rattled near the end when he was 2 down with three holes to play. Johnson bogeyed the 16th when he failed to get up-and-down from the primary rough. Wilson then made a putt just inside seven feet to save par on the 17th, then rolled in a putt inside 14 feet for birdie at the 18th to extend the match. Wilson then won it on the 19th hole when Johnson missed a four-foot par putt. "I'm thrilled to not pack my suitcase up yet," Wilson said.

Next opponent for Wilson: Bubba Watson

 

                BUBBA WATSON (5) def. BILL HAAS (12), 3 and 2              

Watson and Haas ate breakfast together before their match Wednesday, then Watson went out, reeled off three consecutive birdies to start his round, and never let Haas back into the match. "It's sad having to beat a friend," Watson said. "It's different -- you feel bad. But I played great and somehow came around with the victory." Watson did stumble with bogeys on the fifth and sixth holes, but he bounced back with consecutive birdies and was 4-up through eight holes. He closed out the match with a birdie putt of 21 feet, 4 inches on the par-3 16th.

Next opponent for Watson: Mark Wilson

 

                J.B. HOLMES (6) def. CAMILO VILLEGAS (11), 4 and 2

An impressive performance by Holmes, who is ranked 66th in the world and was not part of the 64-man field until Tim Clark withdrew Tuesday due to injury. Holmes took full advantage of the opportunity in knocking out Villegas, who reached the final four last year. Holmes never trailed in winning for the first time at this event (his only previous appearance was a loss to Tiger Woods in 2008). Holmes went 1-up with a birdie at the par-5 second and Villegas followed with a bogey at the third. He would bounce back with a birdie at the fourth, a precursor to his rollercoaster performance to come. Villegas squared the match with a two-putt birdie at the par-5 eighth but followed with consecutive bogeys to give the lead back to Holmes. The key hole was the par-5 13th when Villegas birdied but Holmes eagled when he rolled in a putt inside 14 feet. That put Holmes 3 up and he closed out the match with a birdie at the 16th. Afterwards, he played the 17th and 18th as practice roles -- after all, until Wednesday, he had never seen the course.

Next opponent for Holmes: Ernie Els

 

                ERNIE ELS (3) def. JEFF OVERTON (14), 19 holes                

Els had just one birdie on his card, but after a rough start, he maintained a steady presence and let Overton self-destruct for most of the match. During an eight-hole stretch in the middle of the match, Overton posted five bogeys and one double bogey. Yet when Els conceded the 15th hole, the match was surprisingly all squared and Overton was all fired up. Both players parred the final three holes in regulation. On the 19th hole, Overton's approach shot landed in the native area to the left of the green, the ball under a brush with no chance to save par. Overton eventually conceded the hole and the match.

Next opponent for Els: J.B. Holmes

 

                JASON DAY (10) def. KIM KYUNG-TAE (7), 3 and 2            

Day, making his Match Play debut, had an awful 10th hole when he conceded the hole, picking up his ball before even reaching the green. That left him 1-down ... and that's when the Aussie turned it on. He two-putted the par-5 11th for birdie, won the 12th hole with a par, and eagled the par-5 13th when he rolled in a 13-foot, 8-inch putt. "That kind of got my round going a little bit in the right direction," he said. Indeed it did. By winning three straight holes put him 2-up and after a slip at the 14th when he bogeyed, he finished with two straight birdies, including a 40-footer on the 16th.

Next opponent for Day: Paul Casey

 

                PAUL CASEY (2) def. RICHARD GREEN (15), 19 holes        

Casey has reached the finals the last two years, but he was pushed to the limit by the left-handed Aussie. Casey started his round with 11 consecutive pars but after making a couple of birdies on the back nine, he was 1 up with two holes to play. But his only blemish of the day, a bogey on the par-4 17th in which he found the native area with his approach shot, cost him the lead. Green showed his grit by rolling in a par putt from just inside eight feet at the 18th to keep the match alive, but he missed a par putt inside five feet on the 19th hole to give Casey the win. "I think both of us felt frustrated out there," Casey said. "Neither of us really made any putts. I struck the ball very well, just never got it going." Casey has now won 16 of his last 20 matches in this event.

Next up for Casey: Jason Day

 

                STEWART CINK (14) def. IAN POULTER (3), 19 holes

The defending champion has been eliminated on the first day. An upset? Not really. Cink is a tough, proven performer in this event, and he kept nipping at Poulter's heels all day in the first match out. The match stayed squared through six holes (both players doubled the sixth, by the way), then Poulter finally took the lead when Cink bogeyed the seventh. The Englishman remained in the lead. When Cink conceded the 14th hole, Poulter was 2 up with four holes to play. But Cink bounced back with a birdie at the drivable par-4 15th. A Poulter bogey at the 17th -- his approach shot failed to find the green -- squared the match. At the 18th hole, Poulter just missed on a 16-foot birdie putt that would've ended the match. Cink then won the 19th hole when his approach shot at the par-4 first landed inside of four feet. "I don't know that there's a tougher match play opponent in the field than Ian Poulter," Cink said. "This is a big win for me." Cink's record in this event is now 22-11 while Poulter becomes the first defending champ to be knocked out in the first round since Steve Stricker lost to Chris DiMarco in 2002.

Next opponent for Cink: Y.E. Yang

 

                PHIL MICKELSON (1) def. BRENDAN JONES (16), 6 and 5

Thanks in large part to his accuracy, Mickelson had a relatively stress-free day in playing bogey-free golf to beat the Australia. The world's No. 3-ranked player hit eight of 10 fairways and 10 of 13 greens and only lost one hole early in the round. "The key for me winning this match was driving it," Mickelson said. "I drove the ball well and kept it in play and didn't give any holes away." After Mickelson made his first birdie of the day -- at the par-4 seventh -- he was 3 up. Meanwhile, Jones had little to offer. He made four bogeys on the front side and then doubled the 10th to fall 4 down. A couple of late Mickelson birdies closed it out. "My opponent is a heck of a player," Mickelson said, "but he hit two or three into the desert and ended up giving me a few holes, which ultimately was the difference."

Next opponent for Mickelson: Rickie Fowler-Peter Hanson match

 

                GRAEME McDOWELL (2) def. HEATH SLOCUM (11), 4 and 3         

The reigning U.S. Open champ did not get off to a good start, losing the opening hole after his approach shot sailed over the green. After taking a drop, McDowell could not save his par from the rough. But he roared back with a 17-foot putt for eagle at the par-5 second to square the match. He then won four of the next five holes, thanks to three Slocum bogeys and a McDowell birdie at the par-3 sixth when he rolled in a putt from outside 21 feet. When Slocum bogeyed the 11th when his tee shot sailed wide left, McDowell was 5-up and cruising. The win ends a three-match losing streak in the first round by McDowell.

Next opponent for McDowell: Ross Fisher

 

                Y.E. YANG (11) def. ALVARO QUIROS (6), 20 holes           

Yang found himself 2-down through eight holes, but he battled back, winning the 10th and 11th holes to square the match. Quiros then had to battle back after making a bogey with a three-putt at the 16th. The Spaniard stayed in the match with a clutch birdie putt from 21-1/2 feet at the 18th hole. After each player parred the 19th hole (No. 1), Yang drove the par-5 second green in two, then calmly rolled in a birdie putt from outside six feet for the win. The outcome has to be a disappointment for Quiros, who had won the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this year on the European Tour.

Next opponent for Yang: Stewart Cink

 

                ROSS FISHER (10) def. ROBERT ALLENBY (7), 4 and 3        

Fisher never trailed in knocking out the veteran Aussie, who lost a first-round match for the fourth time in his last five appearances here. Fisher took the lead when Allenby conceded the first hole, but gave it back with his lone bogey of the day at the seventh. The Englishman, who reached the semifinals two years ago, immediately regained the lead with a birdie at the par-5 eighth. He also birdied both par-5s on the back nine and closed out the match when he got up-and-down for birdie at the short par-4 15th. Allenby posted just one birdie on his round. Next opponent for Fisher Graeme McDowell

 

                RICKIE FOWLER (8) def. PETER HANSON (9), 1 up              

Despite four bogeys in his first six holes, Fowler walked off the sixth green all square in his match, feeling fortunate that he was not facing a big deficit. From there, Fowler regrouped and posted consecutive birdies in going 1 up through eight. His bogey at the 12th squared the match, but Fowler hit the key shot of the match at the short par-4 15th. His 327-yard drive landed 16 feet from the pin, and he rolled in the eagle putt to go 1 up. Although Hanson also found his game after a shaky start, he could not land the key putt. His best chance was at the 17th, but he missed an 8-footer that would have squared the match as Fowler won in his Match Play debut.

Next opponent for Fowler: Phil Mickelson

 

                MATT KUCHAR (4) def. ANDERS HANSEN (13), 22 holes

In the day's longest match, Kuchar found himself 2 down with two holes to play. But that's when Hansen self-destructed. He bogeyed the 17th and 18th holes to keep Kuchar in the match and then failed to convert a par putt inside five feet that would have won the 19th hole. Both players bogeyed the 21st hole, but Kuchar claimed the match when he knocked his approach shot at the par-4 fourth hole to within 10 feet and made the birdie. Kuchar will gladly take the win but the Dane will be kicking himself for not finishing off the former U.S. Amateur champ.

Next opponent for Kuchar: Bo Van Pelt

 

                BO VAN PELT (12) def. LOUIE OOSTHUIZEN (5), 2 up       

Van Pelt started the round with 11 consecutive pars as he watched the British Open champ rollercoaster through the first part of the match. Oosthuizen opened with two birdies but gave away his lead with bogeys at the fourth and sixth tholes. When he bogeyed the ninth, Van Pelt had his first lead of the day. Van Pelt gave that lead away with a bogey at the 12th but Oosthuizen returned the favor at the 17th when his tee shot sailed into native area and he took a penalty stroke. Van Pelt never won a hole with a birdie putt, but he was conceded the 18th hole, and the match, when his approach landed within six feet of the pin.

Next opponent for Van Pelt: Matt Kuchar

 

                RORY McILROY (2) def. JONATHAN BYRD (15), 4 and 2    

McIlroy couldn't win the second hole with a birdie and didn't lose the third hole with a bogey. But when he eagled the par-4 fourth hole -- his tee shot came up just short of the 339-yard hole and he holed out from the fairway -- the Northern Irishman had a lead that he would not relinquish for the rest of the round. "I played very solid golf," said McIlroy, who reached the quarterfinals two years ago in his Accenture Match Play debut. Byrd, who won earlier this year at the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions, had his chances. He squared the match when he birdied the eight, but promptly fell behind again when he missed a three-footer for par at the ninth. After that, he could never put another red number on his card.

Next opponent for McIlroy: Ben Crane

 

                RYAN PALMER (14) def. JIM FURYK (3), 2 up       

You could see this coming. Furyk has struggled out of the gate this season, and his play on Wednesday must have left him frustrated. After what could have been a confidence-boosting eagle at the par-5 second, Furyk soon embarked on a nine-hole birdie-free stretch in which he posted four bogeys and two double bogeys. When Palmer got up and down at the par-5 11th for birdie, he found himself 3 up. Furyk did respond with a birdie at the 12th and a Palmer bogey at the 14th cut his lead to 1 up. But Furyk ended with bogeys on two of his last three holes. The usually accurate Furyk hit just 8 of 18 greens in regulation as he lost in the first round for the fifth time in his last eight starts in this event.

Next opponent for Palmer: Miguel A. Jimenez

 

                BEN CRANE (10) def. ADAM SCOTT (7), 4 and 2  

Crane jumped out to a quick lead, thanks to rolling in a putt outside of 7 feet for birdie on the first hole. He never trailed after that. Scott conceded the second hole and failed to capitalize on Crane's lone bogey of the day at the third. Crane and Scott then exchanged pars for the next seven holes before Crane's birdie putt from seven feet at the 11th. Scott did manage three consecutive birdies -- his only three of the day -- starting at the 13th, but only won of those holes. A Scott bogey at the 16th finished the match. In four Match Play starts, Crane has yet to lose in the first round.

Next opponent for Crane: Rory McIlroy

 

                MIGUEL A. JIMENEZ (6) def. YUTA IKEDA (11), 2 and 1   

The Spaniard fell behind early due to a couple of bogeys, but after squaring the match, he and Ikeda traded pars through the middle portion of the round. Jimenez fell behind again with a bogey at the 12th but then grabbed control of the match with three birdies in the next four holes. His birdie putt from just under 27 feet at the par-4 14th gave him the lead and he never trailed after that. Ikeda, meanwhile, could never get any momentum. His lone birdie came at the second hole and he ended his brief stay on Dove Mountain with 11 consecutive pars.

Next opponent for Jimenez: Ryan Palmer

 

                JUSTIN ROSE (9) def. ZACH JOHNSON (8), 2 and 1            

Rose never trailed after being conceded the opening hole, but he didn't make it easy on himself after reaching the back nine. He was 4 up as he walked to the 10th tee, and still had that advantage despite a bogey at the 10th. But from there, Johnson won four consecutive holes, thanks to a birdie at the 11th, a Rose bogey at the 12th, a birdie at the 13th, and a Rose double bogey at the 14th. With all the momentum clearly on Johnson's side, however, Rose won the pivotal hole of the match, bombing a 349-yard drive over the green at the par-4 15th, then getting up and down for birdie. Johnson, meanwhile, found the bunker with his tee shot and could only manage to get on the fringe with his second. Now 1-down, Johnson ended the match with a bogey at the 17th.

Next opponent for Rose: Martin Kaymer

 

                MARTIN KAYMER (1) def. NOH SEUNG-YUL (16), 7 and 6              

The world's No. 2-ranked player had little trouble in dispatching the overmatched teenager from Korea. Kaymer won the first four holes without having to roll in a birdie putt, as Noh conceded the first and third holes and bogeyed the second and fourth. Kaymer went 5 up with a birdie at the par-5 eighth and another birdie at a par 5, the 11th, put him 7 up. Noh hit just three of nine fairways and 4 of 12 greens in regulation.

Next opponent for Kaymer: Justin Rose

 

                HUNTER MAHAN (5) def. SEAN O'HAIR (12), 4 and 3       

Both players took awhile to get into the flow of the match, and then each finally produced some fireworks on the back side. But by then, Mahan was firmly in control of the match, thanks to O'Hair's self-inflicted wounds. Starting at the third hole, O'Hair bogeyed four consecutive holes, and when the players left the sixth green, Mahan was 4 up. O'Hair birdied the seventh hole to close the gap, but once Mahan reached the ninth hole, he heated up. A birdie putt just under 13 feet won the hole and he produced three more birdies -- and no bogeys -- the rest of the way. Mahan eagled the 11th and added three more birdies after that, but it was too late as he lost his Match Play debut.

Next opponent for Mahan: Robert Karlsson

 

                ROBERT KARLSSON (4) def. HIROYUKI FUJITA (13), 5 and 3           

Karlsson and Fujita each started with bogeys, but from there, the Swede cruised to just his second Match Play victory in seven tries. Karlsson's birdie at the par-4 seventh put him 1 up and he never trailed after that. After bogeying three holes in a four-hole stretch, Fujita hit a drive at the 11th that went out of bounds, and he hit another drive off the tee, eventually conceding the hole. Karlsson then added a couple of late birdies to seal the deal.

Next opponent for Karlsson: Hunter Mahan

 

                MATTEO MANASSERO (15) def. STEVE STRICKER (2), 2 and 1       

Stricker turned 44 years old on Wednesday, but after being upset by the youngest player to ever play in a World Golf Championships event, he was hardly in any mood to celebrate. The veteran TOUR pro could never get untracked as he suffered a first-round loss for the second consecutive year. Stricker's highlights came during a two-hole stretch just before making the turn, when he eagled the par-5 eighth and won the ninth with a par. That put him 1-up going into the back nine. But he bogeyed the 10th when his tee shot and approach shot each found the native, allowing the 17-year-old Italian teen to square the match. The 16th turned out to be the pivotal hole, as Stricker missed a 6-foot, 8-inch par putt to fall 1 down. Manassero then closed out the match in style, rolling in a 21-foot, 7-inch birdie putt at the 17th. 
Next opponent for Manassero: Charl Schwartzel

 

                LUKE DONALD (3) def. CHARLEY HOFFMAN (14), 6 and 5

Hoffman, making his Accenture Match Play debut, received a thorough spanking from the Englishman, who maintains his perfect record (now 7-0) in first-round matches in this event. Donald claimed the second hole with a two-foot birdie and the third hole when Hoffman took two strokes to get out of the greenside bunker. It didn't get any better from there. Hoffman continued to self-destruct, carding four bogeys during a six-hole stretch while Donald stayed out of trouble, throwing in a couple of birdies himself for good measure. After Hoffman three-putted the 10th hole from 40 feet, he was 7-down. His only red number of the day, an eagle at the 11th, merely prolonged the agony.

Next opponent for Donald: Edoardo Molinari

 

                EDOARDO MOLINARI (6) def. MARTIN LAIRD (11), 3 and 2           

Molinari found himself 2 down after a bogey at the sixth hole. But from there, he went on a birdie fest to wrestle control of the match away from the Scotsman. Molinari birdied five of the next seven holes as he took full advantage of Dove Mountain's par-5 holes. The Italian had a hot putter during the stretch, making birdie putts of 14 feet, 3 inches; 12 feet, 7 inches; and 20 feet, 10 inches. When the match reached the 14th hole, Molinari was 3 up, and Laird had nothing left for a late comeback.

Next opponent for Molinari: Luke Donald

 

                CHARL SCHWARTZEL (7) def. RYO ISHIKAWA (10), 20 holes          

The Japanese teen sensation played bogey-free golf for the first 13 holes, posting four birdies during that time. But he could not shake the pesky South African. Ishikawa was just 1 up through 13 before suffering his first bogey of the day at the 14th to square the match. That's when Schwartzel could feel the momentum turning. He took his first lead of the match with an up-and-down for birdie at the short par-4 15th. Ishikawa responded with his own birdie at the par-3 16th with a great tee shot that landed inside five feet. But he then bogeyed the 17th when he found the rough with his approach shot. With a chance to win in regulation, though, Schwartzel stumbled at the 18th when he three-putted. On the 20th hole, the par-5 second, Ishikawa hit a wayward tee shot, missed the green with his approach shot and failed to save par with an eight-foot putt. This is Schwartzel's third consecutive first-round victory in as many starts.

Next opponent for Schwartzel: Matteo Manassero

 

                K.J. CHOI (13) def. RETIEF GOOSEN (4), 1 up       

Choi never held the advantage until the 16th hole when Goosen missed a 7-1/2-foot putt for par. It was the second bogey in three holes for Goosen, as he self-destructed late in the match. Choi made the slim lead hold up with pars at the 17th and 18th holes.

Next opponent for Choi: Ryan Moore

 

                NICK WATNEY (8) def. ANTHONY KIM (9), 5 and 4            

Watney has been one of the most consistent players on the PGA TOUR to start the year, and he didn't have any trouble in eliminating Kim, who proved to be his own worst enemy. Kim double bogeyed the third hole when he found the water protecting the front of the green, followed with a bogey at the fourth and another at the sixth. At that point, he was 3 down and he had nothing to offer to get back in the match. In fact, he did not post a single birdie, and he hit just five of 14 greens in regulation. Watney was not at his best, but he didn't need to be.

Next opponent for Watney: Lee Westwood

 

                LEE WESTWOOD (1) def. HENRIK STENSON (16), 3 and 2                

It wasn't a particularly impressive performance by the world's No. 1 player, but nevertheless, it was effective enough against Stenson, the 2007 Accenture Match Play champion who made the field when Toru Taniguchi had to withdraw. Westwood bogeyed three of his first seven holes, yet when he arrived at the eighth tee box, he was all square. Give credit to Westwood's bounce-back ability -- three times he followed bogeys with birdies on the enusing holes. When he birdied the par-5 11th, he was 2 up and he maintained that advantage until winning the final hole, the par-3 16th, after Stenson missed a par putt inside seven feet. This is the fourth consecutive first-round win for Westwood.

Next opponent for Westwood: Nick Watney

 

                RYAN MOORE(12) def. FRANCESCO MOLINARI (5), 3 and 1          

Moore never trailed in upsetting the Italian. Molinari found himself 4 down after four bogeys on the front side. He tried to get back in the match with consecutive birdies at the 12th and 13th holes, but Moore answered each time. The key putt was Moore's 24-footer for birdie that halved the 12th hole. Molinari continued his late charge by winning the 14th and 15th holes but the deficit was too large to overcome.

Next opponent for Moore: K.J. Choi