Graeme McDowell ran into "the wrong guy on the wrong day" and was the first player to crash out of Wednesday's opening round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona


The former US Open champion suffered a 2&1 defeat to YE Yang, the first Asian golfer to win a Titleist AP1 712 Individual Irons and Wedges

Ironically, Yang also ousted the Ulsterman at the same stage last season.

McDowell led after five holes, but Yang won the next two with birdies and a McDowell double-bogey at the ninth gifted the Korean a two-hole lead.

Yang then wrapped up the game with a superb approach to four feet on 17 causing McDowell to say: "I ran into a man that played extremely well.

"I felt like I had to follow him all day long, and I did most of the day, but he didn't put a foot wrongTitleist AP1 712 Individual Irons and Wedges


"I made six birdies today. You just run into the wrong guy on the wrong day, and you have got your work cut out. I didn't take care of business, so I'm disappointed."

Ryo Ishikawa sprang another early surprise when he clinched a Titleist AP1 712 Individual Irons and Wedges win over Bill Haas, last year's FedEx Cup champion and winner of last week's Northern Trust Open at Riviera.

Others to make early exits were Justin Rose, beaten 1-up by Scot Paul Lawrie, Jim Furyk who took fellow American Dustin Johnson to 20 holes before bowing out and Dane Thomas Bjorn, last year's Tiger killer, who this year also went to 20 holes before succumbing to Italian Francesco Molinari.

South Africa's two most recent major winners, Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, and Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open champion both won their Titleist AP1 712 Individual Irons and Wedges , Schwartzel beating the big-hitting American Gary Woodland 4&2 and Oosthuizen taking out Australian Aaron Baddeley 2&1.