Harrington draws Westwood in match play event

Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington clash in the first round of the Accenture world match play championship in Tucson on Wednesday – as do their Ryder Cup team-mates Darren Clarke and Sergio Garcia.

The tournament brings together the world’s top 64 players, although this year it is 64 of the top 65 as Charl Schwartzel has pulled out of a duel with his compatriot Ernie Els to try to win the South African Order of Merit instead.

That puts American JJ Henry into the field, but he will have to face world number one Tiger Woods on the opening day, while Welshman Bradley Dredge will now play Els.

There are two other all-European games – Colin Montgomerie against Johan Edfors and Luke Donald against Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Clarke, who became Europe’s only winner of the title by beating Woods in the 2000 final, thought he might be facing reigning HSBC World Match Play champion Paul Casey.

That was because Arron Oberholser was expected to withdraw with a bad back that has kept him out of action since the first week of January, but the American’s name was still in the draw when it was made at the conclusion of the Nissan Open in Los Angeles.

Garcia finished sixth there and Harrington seventh, a disappointing result for him (Harrington) after he had opened with a 10-birdie 63 and had been only one behind Phil Mickelson with a round to go.

Mickelson missed out on a second successive victory by bogeying the final hole and then losing at the third hole of a play-off to Charles Howell.