Rahm makes winning start in Texas

Jon Rahm held off an impressive fightback by Sebastian Munoz to claim an opening one up victory on day one of the 2021 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

The World Number Three was just introducing himself to the professional game when he lost to Dustin Johnson in the final at Austin Country Club in 2017 but has since gone on to win the Race to Dubai and further prove his match play prowess by playing a major role in Europe's 2018 Ryder Cup victory.

He looked to be cruising at three up after ten holes but Munoz won three of the next four before the Spaniard claimed the 16th and held on in Group Three.

Open Championship winner Shane Lowry is also in Group Three but he was defeated 4&2 by American Ryan Palmer.

Rahm and Munoz each won two of the first six holes but Munoz bogeyed the seventh and tenth, with Rahm putting an approach in tight on the ninth to take control.

Munoz birdied the 11th, 13th and 14th to tie things up but Rahm got up and down from the sand for a gain on the 16th, and repeated the trick on the last to match his opponent's birdie.

"You can't really let down," said Rahm. "Even if you get a one up, two up lead, you've still got to keep on going hitting the right shots to put pressure on your playing partner.

"And vice versa, if you're a couple down you've got to put pressure on as well, you've got to go ahead. So it kind of fits my playing style a lot."

Andy Sullivan enjoyed an encouraging start in Group Six as he pushed World Number Six Xander Schauffele all the way in a halved match.

The Englishman was quickly two up as Schauffele bogeyed the first and fourth and while the American hit back at the sixth, he bogeyed the seventh and Sullivan put a stunning approach to seven feet at the eighth to be three up at the turn.

But if the front nine was Sullivan's, the back belonged to Schauffele, who birdied the 11th, 12th and 16th.

It looked like the comeback would be complete at the last when Sullivan got in trouble off the tee and needed a drop but the four time European Tour winner played a sublime third to save par.

Matthew Fitzpatrick is the top seed in Group 15 but he was beaten 3&1 by a resurgent Jordan Spieth.

The three time Major Championship winner made his first birdie of the day from eight feet at the second to go one up and put his tee shot at the par three seventh to two feet before Fitzpatrick bogeyed the ninth.

Spieth then made the par of the day on the 13th after putting his drive on the 15th green and while Fitzpatrick kept the match alive with a birdie on the 16th, Spieth birdied the next after a tee shot to eight feet.

In Group Four, Billy Horschel was four up after six but Max Homa dragged him back to all square before the 34-year-old holed an 18 footer on the 17th and won one up.

In the same group, J.T. Poston birdied the last to claim a half against US PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa.

Louis Oosthuizen lost his opening match 2&1 to defending champion Kevin Kisner in Group Two, where World Number Two Justin Thomas went down 3&2 to Matt Kuchar.

There were opening day defeats for Tony Finau, Viktor Hovland, Bernd Wiesberger and Paul Casey.