The Latest: Cantlay works harder than his score suggests

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Latest on the Dell Technologies Match Play (all times CDT):

2:30 p.m.

Patrick Cantlay had one of his better rounds of the year. He made six birdies, holed out a wedge for eagle and didn’t drop a shot at Austin Country Club. In stroke play, he would have opened with a 63.

In the Dell Technologies Match Play on Wednesday, he had to make an 18-foot birdie putt just to win his opening match against Brian Harman.

Cantlay says it shouldn’t have felt as hard as it was. Instead, he said he was sweating out until the final hole. Such is the format. Every match can feel like the final round on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Justin Thomas is the highest seed to lose in the opening round. Thomas is No. 2 and didn’t stand much of a chance against Matt Kuchar, who made five birdies on the front nine on his way to a 4-and-2 victory.

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1:45 p.m.

Jordan Spieth and the rest of the Texas Longhorns are feeling right at home in the Dell Technologies Match Play.

Spieth never trailed in a 3-and-1 victory over Matt Fitzpatrick, while Dylan Frittelli of South Africa had a surprisingly easy time in a 6-and-5 win over Tony Finau.

Spieth and Frittelli were teammates at Texas when the Longhorns won the 2012 NCAA title at Riviera.

Scottie Scheffler, who graduated in four years with a business degree at Texas, made his tournament debut by beating Jason Day in 18 holes. Day won the Match Play in 2016, its first year at Austin Country Club.

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Noon

Ian Poulter has handed Rory McIlroy his worst loss in 10 years at the Dell Technologies Match Play.

Poulter won the opening match at Austin Country Club, 6 and 5. The last time McIlroy walked off the course this early was when Ben Crane beat him, 8 and 7, in the second round in 2011 when the event was in Arizona.

Poulter was clinging to a 1-up lead going to the ninth hole at Austin Country Club when he hit a 7-iron to 8 feet for birdie. McIlroy threw away the next hole with a bad pitch, and Poulter poured it on with a tee shot into 15 feet for birdie at the 11th and a 4-iron to 8 feet for eagle on the 12th.

The match ended on the reachable 13th when McIlroy drove over the green and then chipped back across the green and into the water.

McIlroy began working with noted English coach Pete Cowen, though he still hasn’t said to what degree. And Wednesday was not the day for such revelations. He declined to speak to the media.