G-Mac steadies nerves

Graeme McDowell hit back from arrears of two holes after three to beat Sweden’s Robert Karlsson in the first round of the Volvo Match Play Championship here at Finca Cortesin on Spain’s Costa del Sol yesterday.

The 2010 US Open champion from Portrush is now in the ideal position to qualify for the matchplay stages of the €2.75m event. His next match is against the little-known J Be Kruger this afternoon with two players from each group set to qualify for the knock-out stages.

Darren Clarke, the other Irishman in the field, didn’t play yesterday but today will be in action against both Justin Rose and Robert Rock, a pair of Englishmen who went head to head yesterday in a totally one-sided affair that ended in favour of the former at the 12th. There was little Rock could do about it as Rose opened with five consecutive birdies and picked up two more before the premature finish.