RORY MCILROY played the most impressive golf of the day and produced a barrage of birdies on the way to beating two-times US Open champion Retief Goosen in yesterday’s opening round of the €3.4 million Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin.

Tiger Woods switched putter for the second time in a week in a last-gasp bid to revive his Open campaign, but still found himself reduced to the status of an also-ran at St Andrews.