McDowell and McIlroy safely pass opening examinations

GRAEME McDOWELL and Rory McIlroy cruised to comfortable first round wins in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

But while McDowell was as diplomatic as ever in his post-round interviews, McIlroy’s tendency to commit youthful indiscretions got the better of him again when he inadvertently threw Tiger Woods under the bus.

Asked about the changing of the guard in golf following 17-year-old Matteo Manassero’s 2 and 1 win over 44-year-old Steve Stricker, McIlroy smiled and said: “I think the young guys are good enough to compete with them. But I mean, I don’t think Tiger and Phil have got any... well, Phil hasn’t got any worse.”

While it was said in jest, McIlroy’s comment will not go unnoticed by Woods, who was one down through nine holes to Dane Thomas Bjorn.

But there were no such struggles for the Irish pair with McDowell cruising to a 4 and 3 win over American Heath Slocum that sets up a clash with his Horizon Sports stablemate Ross Fisher, a semi-finalist here in 2009.

It was just as easy for McIlroy, who overcame a shaky spell early on to ease to a comfortable 4 and 2 victory over American Jonathan Byrd.

On a day when defending champion Ian Poulter was furious with himself after losing on the 19th to Stewart Cink, McDowell was relieved to get over the winning line for the first time since he beat Darren Clarke in the opening round at La Costa six years ago.

“I’ve had my bags packed by noon here the first two years and it’s a horrible feeling driving out of that car park that early,” McDowell said. “I am just glad to get a round under my belt.

“Okay, I have a tough game tomorrow with Ross but this win kind of takes some of the pressure away and I can go out and play some golf now.”

McDowell struggled with his game in practice and on the range before the start but while he lost the first after overshooting the green, he was soon motoring into a comfortable lead.

Slocum hadn’t played a matchplay encounter since the 1995 US Amateur Public Links and the gulf in class showed as the day went on.

“I feel like I played well myself and he didn’t play his best and make me play,” McDowell said. “I could fire to the correct side of pins and win a few holes with pars, which is always nice.

“I hit it well off the tee, hit a few decent iron shots and holed a few nice putts. But every match is tough and I have got to prepare myself to play one of my good friends tomorrow.

“Ross a great match player and has a good record in this tournament so I will have to play well to beat him.”

McDowell showed his intent early, winning the par-five second with an eagle set up by a magnificent, 234-yard five-iron to just 18 feet.

He won a chip and putt battle to take the par-three third in par and edge into a lead he would never relinquish, taking the fifth with a par and the sixth with a birdie two from 22 feet to go three up.

Slocum was clearly out of sorts and lost the seventh to a par to go four down and then left McDowell off the hook for failing to get up and down at the ninth by three-putting.

Slocum bogeyed the long 11th to go five down and while McDowell lost the 14th to a birdie he parred the next two holes to ease the pressure after first round defeats in 2006 and the last two years.

McIlroy faced a far tougher opponent in Byrd, who reach the third round on his debut in 2008. After halves in birdie at the second and bogey at the third, McIlroy moved into the lead when he hit a 323-yard drive to the edge of the fourth green and chipped in for an eagle two.

Pointing to his eagle as the turning point, McIlroy said: “I got off to a shaky start and missed a couple of greens but the two on four sort of settled me down and I never looked back after that.”

Late starter Padraig Harrington was two down to Geoff Ogilvy through eight holes.