Macintyre storms back to win as Mcilroy and Dechambeau are beaten
Bob Macintyre produced a sensational performance down the stretch to mark his WGC-DELL Technologies Match Play debut with a splendid victory over fivetime PGA Tour winner Kevin Na in Texas.
The young Scot found himself one down with six holes to play at Austin Country Club before a chip-in eagle from 30 yards at the 13th, a 30-foot birdie putt two holes later then another eagle from a bunker at the par-5 16th helped him secure a 2&1 success.
In a round-robin format, Macintyre now takes on world No 1 Dustin Johnson, who wasn’t firing on all cylinders as he beat fellow American Adam Long two up.
Rory Mcilroy, meanwhile, hit a wayward shot into a swimming pool as he joined Bryson Dechambeau in tasting defeat.
Mcilroy’s first competitive outing since adding Pete Cowen to his coaching team didn’t deliver the galvanising effect he was looking for as the Northern Irishman crashed to a 6&5 loss against Ian Poulter.
Mcilroy, pictured, who missed the cut as defending champion after an opening 79 in the Players Championship at Sawgrass earlier in the month, was already two down when his tee shot at the fifth went out of bounds and ended up in a swimming pool.
Poulter, Europe’s Ryder Cup talisman, looked to have a game on his hands when Mcilroy got it back to one down after eight before the Englishman won the next five holes on the spin, clinching victory as his opponent chipped into the water across the green at the 13th.
“I’m not sure it was easy, to be honest,” said Poulter of his comprehensive success. “I mean, you’re playing Rory and it was apparent when you’re one up after being three up that this is not going to be an easy match.”
Poulter carded an eagle and three birdies in his matchwinning burst, adding: “I played well and obviously the score line's pretty flattering, to be honest. But I kept Rory under pressure and I made it difficult for him.”
Due to the round-robin format, Mcilroy can still qualify for the knock-out stage, as can world No 2 Justin Thomas and US Open champion Dechambeau after they also suffered opening-day defeats.
In his first outing since winning the Players Championship, Thomas went down 3&2 to fellow American Matt Kuchar while Dechambeau lost by two holes to Frenchman Antoine Rozner, who only got into the event on the back of his Qatar Masters victory earlier in the month.
“I'm very happy,” said Rozner, who was three up with six to play before staving off a fightback. “I was starting to feel a little bit nervous on the back nine,” he added.
Rozner became the fastest Frenchman to win twice on the European Tour, having made his breakthrough in the Golf in Dubai Championship in December before completing a Middle East double by holing a 60-foot birdie putt on the final hole in Qatar on just his 29th start.
“I played a lot of match play as an amateur,” he said after this stunning start. “I won the French Am backto-back. I played the Palmer Cup and won my four matches there, so I've got a pretty good record in match play.”