Paul Casey was off to a great start at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club as the last eight players left in the World Golf Championships - Accenture Match Play began their bids to reach the semi-finals.
England's Casey was facing American Sean O'Hair and trying to go one better than his previous best performance in 2007 when he was beaten 6 and 4 by Geoff Ogilvy at the same stage.
Against O'Hair he was quickly into his stride, with a birdie at the par four opening hole, sending in his approach shot to six feet as the American got tangled in the rough off the tee and bogeyed.
Casey's approach work from the fairway at the par five second also paid dividends as he eagled there to go two up in as many holes, and an O'Hair bogey at the fourth saw Casey go three up.
First out on the day was the match between Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Australian Ogilvy.
World Number Eight Ogilvy was the Irish teenager's first encounter this week with a top ten player having previously knocked out Louis Oosthuizen, Hunter Mahan and Tim Clark in his professional debut on American soil.
McIlroy, 19, started in ideal fashion with a birdie at the second to go one up but Ogilvy, the 2006 winner and 2007 runner-up, was soon back in business.
The Australian out drove his younger rival at the par four fourth and his second shot from 35 yards settled within four feet of the hole.
McIlroy was also on in two but three putted for bogey as Ogilvy sank his birdie putt to bring the match all square.
It was a similar story at the par four fifth as McIlroy two putted for par and Ogilvy birdied to go one up, a lead he still held after seven holes.
Stewart Cink, who had knocked out fellow American Phil Mickelson, was one up on Ernie Els, the South African having taken the lead at the first. Cink won the second, fourth and fifth holes to go two up before bogeying the sixth and losing the hole.
In the last quarter-final to go out, England's Ross Fisher was one down after four to Justin Leonard of the United States.
