Rory McIlroy made a profitable begin on the WGC-Dell Applied sciences Match Play Championship however Matt Fitzpatrick’s struggles continued with defeat in his opening group match in Austin, Texas.
Former champion McIlroy led from begin to end in his 3&1 victory over American Scott Stallings on Wednesday.
US Open champion Fitzpatrick, the highest seed in group 11 at Austin Nation Membership, misplaced 5&3 in opposition to JJ Spaun.
Solely the winners of the 16 four-man teams advance to the knockout stage.
World quantity three McIlroy was three up after six holes and Stallings, who rallied with birdies on the ninth, thirteenth and sixteenth, conceded after Northern Eire’s four-time main winner made a sixth birdie of the day on the seventeenth.
Spaun took management of his match-up with Fitzpatrick with birdies on the third and fifth however the Englishman responded with an eagle on the sixth to cut back the deficit.
Nevertheless, Fitzpatrick, who has missed the reduce in three of his final 4 begins, conceded on the fifteenth after Spaun had birdied the eleventh and twelfth earlier than an eagle on the thirteenth and a remaining birdie for good measure.
Elsewhere, Tyrrell Hatton struggled with ache in his proper hand and arm following a warm-up shot as he suffered a 3&1 defeat by Ben Griffin.
