Four bogeys on the back nine during his first round clash against Kyle Stanley has left Louis Oosthuizen playing catch-up in the WGC-Dell Tech Match Play, unlike his two countrymen.
Oosthuizen never led against the American, but handed him the match with his back nine wobble. Stanley ended the match with nine consecutive pars against the 2016 runner-up, who three-putted the 16th hole to lose 3&2.
Now the South African faces an uphill battle with the knowledge that only 8 players have won their group after a day one loss in the competition.
In Group 11’s other match, top seed Tommy Fleetwood defeated Byeong-Hun An, who Oosthuizen plays on Thursday, 3&2.
That loss was South Africa’s one and only taste of defeat after Justin Harding came through unscathed in his debut performance against England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, and Branden Grace saw off Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama.
‘I definitely feel as though I stole it,’ said Harding after his 1UP win.
Harding was forced to come back at the death after arriving at the 16th tee 2-down. The Sunshine and Asian Tour star birdied the 16th from close range and then watched his opponent three-putt from 50 feet before missing his par at the last to see Harding make a perfect start.
Harding won six holes to Fitzpatrick’s 5, and said: ‘I battled with the club selection pretty much the entire day. I hung in there, missed a couple of putts I probably would otherwise like to have not missed. But I guess the up-and-down on 17 was quite special. I certainly didn’t see that one coming.’
Rory McIlroy, also a first match winner against Luke List, is up next for Harding.
Like Harding, Grace put up his first point ahead of Thursday’s blockbuster against world No 1 Dustin Johnson, who downed Chez Reavie.
Both Group 1 winners were 4&3 on Wednesday.
Grace eagled the 6th and the 12th, to which Matsuyama could only reply with birdies as the South African star grabbed control of the encounter around the turn.
The multiple European Tour winner was pleased with his opening effort, saying: ‘I think there was one slip with the short putter where I should have gone 3-up. But played really solid. It’s one of those days where you almost have to play the man. It’s windy, it’s tricky.’
