Frost delays start in Tucson

Frost delayed the start of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship for 30 minutes in Tucson today.

Much to his surprise, defending champion Ian Poulter was due to tee off in the opening game against Stewart Cink at 7.25am local time.

Poulter is seeded 12th this year in the event that brings together the game’s top 64, although Japan’s Toru Taniguchi and South African Tim Clark were out injured.

Taniguchi was replaced by Swede Henrik Stenson and he had to take on top seed Lee Westwood, while American JB Holmes came in for Clark and faced Colombian Camilo Villegas.

Poulter and Cink shared the first three holes, the second of them in birdie fours, while behind them Spain's Alvaro Quiros needed only a par on the first to go ahead against Korean YE Yang.

South Africa’s Ernie Els then fell behind when American Jeff Overton opened with a birdie.

Poulter, who had to go to an extra hole to beat Justin Leonard on the opening day last year, remained level after five, but former world number one Els was in real trouble after debutant Overton went three up after three.

Luke Donald drew first blood against American Charley Hoffman with a birdie on the second, but Scot Martin Laird bogeyed the first and fell behind to Italian Edoardo Molinari.