South Africa’s George Coetzee made a fine start against Steve Stricker as Ryder Cup stars Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia soon found themselves with an uphill battle to avoid an early exit from the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
Coetzee, a winner of the Joburg Open a fortnight ago, was three up through 12 holes against veteran Stricker, whose participation had been in doubt until his brother had a successful liver transplant at the weekend.
However, Englishman Poulter fell behind to American Rickie Fowler as he looked to kickstart his season with a good performance in the event he won in 2010.
After the opening three holes were halved, Fowler won three of the next four and needed only one birdie to do so, although Poulter then reduced his deficit with a birdie on the eighth.
However, a par on the tenth was enough for Fowler to move three up once again and leave Poulter in serious trouble of a third first round exit in the last four years.
Garcia was two down to Australian Marc Leishman after just four holes, although at least the Spaniard lost the second and third to birdies from his opponent.
Spain's Pablo Larrazábal was one up against 2013 US PGA Tour rookie of the year Jordan Spieth, while American Jimmy Walker - who has already won three times in the 2014 season - was four up against Branden Grace after ten.
Poulter reduced the deficit when Fowler made a mess of the par five 11th, but the American made amends in style with an eagle from 30 feet on the 13th, with Poulter having already fired his third shot over the green.
That took Fowler three ahead with just five holes to play and it looked a battle between him and Walker to see who could claim the first victory.
Grace had won his first hole of the match on the 11th, but lost the 13th to fall four down once more.
Walker duly completed the first victory of the day, a birdie from 15 feet on the 14th sealing a 5 and 4 win over Grace and setting up a last-32 clash against Fowler or Poulter.
Poulter struck an important blow when he holed from 18 feet on the 14th and Fowler missed from just five feet, but further birdie chances went begging on the next two holes and left him two down with two to play.
Garcia had reduced his deficit to one hole by the turn, but Ryder Cup team-mate Graeme McDowell had lost the first two holes to big-hitting American Gary Woodland.
