Austin: Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat suffered a first-round loss to Australian star Marc Leishman in the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play on Wednesday, taking the closely-fought match all the way to the 18th green.
The 64-player showdown at Austin Country Club uses a round-robin format to determine 16 players for a weekend knockout event to decide a champion.
The big-hitting Thai, who qualified for the quarter-finals last year before bowing out to eventual winner Bubba Watson, stayed on Leishman's heels throughout their opening Group 6 match before the Aussie ran out a 2-up win with a birdie at the final hole.
Kiradech had several chances to swing the match in his favour but his flat stick misbehaved as he made just three birdies in the match.
"I fought hard but didn't make too many putts. I had some chances but the putts didn't want to go in. It was good that I kept fighting until the 18th hole and Marc just hit a great shot into 18 to make birdie for the win. I've got no choice now but to try and win my next match against Bryson [DeChambeau]. He is a great player but I will give it my best," said Kiradech, the first Thai to play on the PGA TOUR.
Kiradech showed great character as he twice tied the match after going 1-down to Leishman, a four-time PGA Tour winner, on the front nine at the Pete Dye-designed layout.
Leishman birdied nine to turn 1-up but once again, the 29-year-old Kiradech birdied 12 to level the match. After losing holes 12 and 15, Kiradech ensured the match went the full distance with an eight-foot birdie on the par-3 17th hole but Leishman proved too good in the end with a three-foot birdie on the last hole.
Meanwhile Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and world No.1 Dustin Johnson were among the top seeds and past champions to capture opening group stage matches.
Woods, a 14-time major champion, opened solidly but unspectacularly with a 3&1 victory over US 61st seed Aaron Wise, which put him on top of his all-American group after Brandt Snedeker and Patrick Cantlay halved.
Fourth seed McIlroy, the 2015 WGC Match-Play winner coming off a Players Championship victory two weeks ago, downed 64th and last seed Luke List of the US 5&4.
McIlroy never trailed and never lost a hole and closed with back-to-back seven-foot birdie putts at 13 and 14 to secure the triumph.
US top seed Johnson, the 2017 winner who captured last month's WGC Mexico event, opened with a 4&3 win over US 55th seed Chez Reavie.
England's second-seeded Justin Rose downed Argentine 53rd seed Emiliano Grillo 2&1. agencies
