Luke Donald, one of the stars of Europe's Ryder Cup win last October, showed his liking for match play again when the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship began in Tucson.
After a 30-minute delay for frost Donald raced into a four up lead after just seven holes against American Charley Hoffman.
A year on from Ian Poulter beating Paul Casey in the final on the same Dove Mountain course, Donald was not the only British player doing well early on.
Poulter himself hit a superb approach to three feet on the 403 yard par four tenth and went two up on American Stewart Cink.
Former Open Championship winner Cink, now outside the world's top 50, was a quarter-finalist last year, a semi-finalist in 2009 and the losing finalist to Tiger Woods the season before that, but he had yet to win a hole.
Scotland's Martin Laird, meanwhile, hit back from bogeying the first to lead Italian Edoardo Molinari by two after six and England's Ross Fisher - winner of the other World Match Play title in Spain two years ago - led Australian Robert Allenby by one after three.
However, in another Ashes clash, Casey fell behind when left-hander Richard Green birdied the long second.
Woods and top seed Lee Westwood were among the later starters, Woods against Dane Thomas Björn and Westwood against 2007 winner Henrik Stenson, a replacement for Japan's Toru Taniguchi.
First of the big names in deep trouble was Ernie Els, but from three down after three the South African came back to trail American Jeff Overton by only one after eight.
With Hoffman managing only a five over par 41 for the front nine Donald was already six clear and in sight of victory as he started for home - and then went seven up.
Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, beaten by Donald on the opening day last year, was the other early starter dominating his opponent.
After bogeying the first McDowell took five of the next six against American Heath Slocum.
Poulter could have won the 11th, 12th and 13th, but Cink made saving putts of ten and 12 feet on the first two and then pulled back to only one down thanks to an 18 footer at the next.
