Donald eyes showdown in Spanish sun with Westwood

“I would love to play Lee,” said second-ranked Donald after beating lone American Ryan Moore 4&3 in the first group game of the Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin in Spain.

“There’s more satisfaction when you can take down the No 1 player in the world.”

And he speaks from experience there. When he won the WGC-Accenture Match Play in Arizona in February he beat Martin Kaymer in the final – on the very weekend that the German took the top spot in the rankings.

Westwood has since grabbed it back, though, with two wins in Asia and he was even more impressive than Donald yesterday, thrashing Dane Anders Hansen 6&5.

Under the new format neither Westwood nor Donald are certain yet to reach the last 16 knock-out stages, however.

If they lose their second group games – Westwood against Australian Aaron Baddeley and Donald against defending champion Ross Fisher – they could find themselves in sudden-death play-offs to decide who goes through.

But Northern Irish pair Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy will also fancy their chances of progressing after beating Louis Oosthuizen and Retief Goosen respectively, McIlroy chipping in at the last.

The day’s other three winners were Kaymer, who overcame Korea’s YE Yang 2&1, and Spanish duo Alvaro Quiros and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Quiros beat Paul Casey and Jimenez hammered Masters champion Charl Schwartzel 6&5.

Only one of the eight games was halved. That was between Ryder Cup team-mates Ian Poulter and Francesco Molinari and Poulter did that with a five-foot birdie putt on the last after losing the first three holes.

Westwood rattled off six birdies in eight holes from the fourth to leave Hansen trailing in his wake and on such a physically demanding course – even with some buggy rides provided – was delighted to finish on the 13th.

“The less holes you can play are obviously to pay dividends down the road and down the tournament,” he said.

“You get to a point in your career where you look for places that you can gain an advantage or where you can improve.

“I wasn’t as strong as I ought to have been, but now I’m a lot more powerful. I wouldn’t say I’m a svelte marathon runner, but I’m fit for golf – powerful in all the right areas.”