The first day of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship usually spells disaster for at least one top seed.
Today, it was Luke Donald.
Ernie Els thumped the world's No. 1 player and the tournament's top seed and defending champion 5 and 4 at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain, creating a vacuum at the top of the Bobby Jones Bracket. The two were all-square through seven holes; Els birdied No. 8 to take a 1-up lead, then won the ninth, 11th 12th and 14th to close out the watch.
The upset was a stunner considering Donald's Match Play acumen:
The Brit did not trail - in fact, he never reached the 18th green - on the way to six wins and the biggest tournament victory of his career a year ago.
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