Graeme McDowell was again enjoying leading from the front on the opening day of the Volvo World Match Play Championship at London Golf Club.
McDowell, who fought back from three down to beat Jordan Spieth in the first singles match in Europe's Ryder Cup victory at Gleneagles, began the defence of his title in the first group match against France's Alexander Levy on Wednesday.
And three birdies in the first five holes gave the Northern Irishman an early two hole lead over his in-form opponent, who won the rain-shortened Portugal Masters last week.
Both players two-putted the par five opening hole and after McDowell had to hole from ten feet for a half on the third after charging his birdie putt well past the hole, the former US Open Champion holed from similar distance for birdie to win the fourth.
Another birdie on the fifth doubled McDowell's advantage, but Ryder Cup team-mate Jamie Donaldson soon found himself one down to former champion Paul Casey, who birdied the first two holes.
Another Ryder Cup star, Sweden's Henrik Stenson, was also one down to George Coetzee, the South African - a late replacement for the injured Thomas Bjørn - having birdied the second.
McDowell was gifted another hole when Levy bogeyed the seventh, only to promptly repay the favour on the eighth, a treacherous par three over water.
However, another bogey from Levy on the ninth gave McDowell a three hole lead at the turn, comfortably the widest margin in the eight matches on the course.
Casey remained one up on Donaldson, Joost Luiten led Mikko Ilonen by the same margin and last year's runner-up Thongchai Jaidee was one up on Italy's Francesco Molinari.
Shane Lowry had birdied the first to take the lead against Stephen Gallacher, while the matches between Victor Dubuisson and Pablo Larrazábal and Patrick Reed and Jonas Blixt were all square.
McDowell moved four up with a birdie on the tenth and was cruising to victory until Levy birdied the par five 13th to reduce his deficit.
Casey had birdied the fifth and sixth to move three ahead of Donaldson, who secured the winning point in the Ryder Cup but was struggling to reproduce the form that saw him beat Keegan Bradley.
And Dubuisson was also three up on Larrazábal thanks to four birdies in the first six holes and a bogey from his Spanish opponent on the eighth.
