Miguel Angel Jimenez was in top form to beat Masters Tournament champion Charl Schwartzel when the Volvo World Match Play Championship began in Spain.
Schwartzel was behind from the moment he badly missed the green on the opening hole at Finca Cortesin and was eventually beaten 6 and 5.
He is not out of the event yet, though. The new format sees the 24 players split into eight groups of three and Schwartzel will need at least a halve with Swede Johan Edfors on Friday and still progress to the last 16.
Jiménez went to the turn in a two under par 35 to the South African's 39, and after Schwartzel had bogeyed the long 11th to fall further behind, Jiménez hit his approach to the 413 yard 13th to within a foot of the hole.
In the top game Ian Poulter was one down with four to play against Ryder Cup teammate Francesco Molinari, while Alvaro Quiros led Paul Casey by two with six to go.
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell were on level terms with South Africans Retief Goosen and Louis Oosthuizen after 11 and nine holes respectively.
World Number Three Martin Kaymer was all square with Korean Y E Yang at the turn, while Number One Lee Westwood stood two up after seven against Dane Anders Hansen and Number Two Luke Donald was three up on lone American Ryan Moore after eight.
Poulter, never beaten in Ryder Cup singles, rescued a half with a five foot birdie putt on the last, but Casey went down 3 and 1 to Quiros.
Westwood was the next to win by a 6 and 5 margin over Hansen.
