Sport : Golf

ERNIE ELS OUSTS LUKE DONALD

23rd February 2012, 07:58am

Luke Donald: Defence lasted just 14 holes

Luke Donald's defence of the Accenture Match Play title lasted only 14 holes in Tucson on Wednesday.

England's world number one became only the third top seed to lose in the first round when he was hammered 5&4 by Ernie Els, who was not even in the event until Phil Mickelson decided to go on holiday.

In winning last year Donald was never behind in six games and never taken to the final green either.

But on his return to Dove Mountain the 34-year-old, who like Els finished the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles on Sunday with a seven-over-par 78, trailed from the third hole.

Els, a giant of the game now in the role of giant-killer, finished things off with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 14th.

"Luke had such an unbelievable year last year, winning both money list titles," he said. "I knew I had to play well and I did."

Donald joins Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in making an instant exit as top seed. They lost to Peter O'Malley and Ross McGowan respectively in 2002 and 2010.

He told Sky Sports: "Not sure where to start - I just didn't play well. t's disappointing. I've worked hard and to lose control of the ball is frustrating.

"I felt pretty good about where I was and I'm not sure what happened. Hopefully just one of those bad days."

Ian Poulter, winner two years ago, was another of the first-day losers, suffering a 4&3 defeat to little-known Korean Bae Sang-moon, but three-time champion Woods came from behind for a one-hole victory over Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.

In a generally scrappy match the Madrid golfer won the first two holes. Woods hit back to lead by one after eight, then hit wild shots and lost the 10th and 11th, but took the 15th and 16th and just held on.

Bunkered in two on the last with Fernandez-Castano only nine feet away, he splashed out superbly down the slope to eight feet and was the one to make his putt.

Robert Rock, conqueror of Woods and the world's top four in Abu Dhabi last month, grabbed another notable scalp when he defeated world number eight Adam Scott.

That came on the last, as did the victories by Scots Paul Lawrie and Martin Laird over Justin Rose and Alvaro Quiros respectively in two of six all-European clashes.

Lawrie, winner of the Qatar Masters three weeks ago, is making his first appearance in the tournament since 2003 and said: "It's great, but there is no point in playing these events if you are not going to play very well."

Second seed Rory McIlroy, left as Ireland's only hope after Graeme McDowell and Open champion Darren Clarke lost, trailed South African George Coetzee at the turn, but won the 11th and 12th to turn things round entering the closing stretch late in the day.

McDowell lost to Korean YE Yang for the second year running and said: "I made six birdies and played decent golf, but I ran into a man who played extremely well.

"He didn't put a foot wrong, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles with this tournament.

"He seems to have my number a little bit - and I have a tendency to bring out the best in guys around this track for some reason."

Clarke was crushed 5&4 by American Nick Watney, who next faces Woods, but Lee Westwood - never beyond the second round in 11 previous trips - overcame Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts.

He and Rock are the only English survivors, Simon Dyson bowing out like Donald, Poulter and Rose.

Westwood, who won on the 17th, said: "I didn't make a bogey and it was a good match. You can't cruise your way into the tournament, as I do in a lot of them."

He has European opposition again in the second round, Robert Karlsson beating fellow Swede Fredrik Jacobson.

Donald's defeat means Westwood and McIlroy, relieved to win on the last after bogeying the 16th and 17th, could become world number one this week, but they each need to win the title.

Second Round Draw (matches to be played Thursday)

BOBBY JONES

(64) Ernie Els v (33) Peter Hanson

(49) Kyle Stanley v (17) Brandt Snedeker

(57) Robert Rock v (40) Mark Wilson

(9) Dustin Johnson v (41) Francesco Molinari

BEN HOGAN

(4) Martin Kaymer v (29) David Toms

(13) Matt Kuchar v (20) Bubba Watson

(5) Steve Stricker v (28) Louis Oosthuizen

(53) YE Yang v (21) Hunter Mahan

GARY PLAYER