Dustin Johnson steamrolls to win as Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth stumble at World Match Play
World number one eases to win as Northern Irishman and American fall to early losses
World number one Dustin Johnson rolled and Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth stumbled, while Jason Day left to be with his ailing mother on Wednesday’s opening day of the WGC-Dell Match Play in Austin, Texas.
Johnson won the first three holes and was 5-up after nine holes and steamrolled Webb Simpson 5&3.
“When you get up real early, you just want to keep the momentum on your side,” said Johnson.
Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth were surprise losers in their first round-robin matches at Austin Country Club.
McIlroy, who reached last year’s semi-finals, fell 2&1 to Dane Soren Kjeldsen while Japan’s Hideto Tanihara, making his first appearance at the tournament, routed Spieth 4&2.
Kjeldsen was 1-down with five to play but rattled off four successive birdies, knocking his last four approaches inside nine feet, with the last three inside four feet.