McDowell and Donald level pegging

Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell were all square after five holes in the first of three all-European clashes on the opening day of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

Donald, runner-up at the US Tour’s Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles two weeks ago, pitched to three feet for a winning opening birdie, but after he and McDowell had both got up and down from the same greenside bunker for birdies on the long second the 208-yard third was won with a bogey four.

Pushing his tee shot led to Donald finding the lake and he ran up a double bogey five before the next two holes were shared in pars.

Ian Poulter, meanwhile, matched Donald’s double-birdie start and for him it meant a two-up lead over former Open champion Justin Leonard. But the gap was back to one when the American sank a 25-footer at the third.

First of the 25-strong European contingent into action was Swede Peter Hanson, but he lost two of the first three to Australian Robert Allenby before having his first success at the short sixth.