Thursday 23 March 2017 00:18, UK
Rory McIlroy was on the wrong end of the first upset of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play as he suffered an opening-day defeat to Soren Kjeldsen in Texas.
McIlroy was two down with eight to play before winning three consecutive holes to take the lead, but Kjeldsen birdied the 14th and 16th before sealing a 2&1 victory with a superb tee-shot to two feet at the penultimate hole.
The 2015 champion must now win his remaining two group matches against Gary Woodland and Emiliano Grillo to have any hope of progressing to the last 16 after losing a high-quality encounter with Kjeldsen, who was an approximate six under par when the pair shook hands.
McIlroy responded well to losing the opening hole as he won the third and fourth with birdies before Kjeldsen levelled at the next, and the Dane moved back in front at the turn when the world No 2 got into trouble at the ninth and bogeyed.
The veteran doubled his lead at the next, but McIlroy set up another birdie with a pure iron to close-range at 11 and a monster 410-yard drive at the par-five 12th led to another which Kjeldsen could not match.
McIlroy almost drove the green at the par-four 13th and won the hole with a neat pitch to inside three feet, but Kjeldsen replied with a precise approach to eight feet at the 14th which he converted for a winning birdie.
The par-four next was halved in threes as both peppered the pin with their second shots, and Kjeldsen's wedge game continued to fire at the long 16th as he knocked his third in close and McIlroy missed from 15 feet to slip one down.
Kjeldsen, the 62nd seed at Austin Country Club this week, rounded off an impressive win in style and admitted afterwards that focusing on his own game rather than being intimidated by McIlroy's power was a key factor.
"I didn't look too much at what Rory was doing, and I played really, really well," said the 41-year-old. "I think I did a good job of not worrying about what Rory was doing, even though he hit it about 100 yards past me a few times.
"I knew I had to play well to have a chance and, to be honest with you, that's case in every match this week. The players are so good that you need to be on your game. I got into my little zone and I managed to hit a lot of good shots and make some putts."
McIlroy was generous in defeat and was not unhappy with his own form, conceding that Kjeldsen's short game and putting had been of the highest order.
"I played well," he said. "If I had played anyone else I might have won. Soren played great, and I have to give him credit. He played really, really well, from the first hole. He made birdie at the first, and his wedge play was very sharp all day.
"He didn't miss any real makeable putts and holed everything he should have. He just played a really solid round of golf and it's hard to beat that, especially when the wind is getting up. To be six under for 17 holes around here is really good.
"Overall I can't be too disappointed, but at the same time when standing on the 14th tee, just having won three holes in a row, I thought I had him going into a tough stretch of the golf course. But he put up three birdies in a row and you can't do anything about that."
Woodland beat Grillo 3&2 and faces McIlroy on Thursday in a repeat of the 2015 final.
