Retief Goosen off to hot start

World number five Retief Goosen waved his putter like a magician's wand to crush British journeyman Kenneth Ferrie 8 and 7 in the first round of the World Match Play Championship on Thursday.

South African Goosen will meet Mark Hensby in the quarter-finals, which are also over 36 holes, after the Australian scored a 2 and 1 victory over 1999 champion Colin Montgomerie at a rain-sodden Wentworth.

Briton Luke Donald thrashed his former Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer 7 and 6 to set up a showdown with Ireland's Paul McGinley, a 6 and 5 winner over Dane Thomas Bjorn.

There were also victories for U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell, Angel Cabrera of Argentina, Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal and Australian Steve Elkington.

Goosen, 36, bidding to win three events in a row for the first time in his career following victories in Germany and China, reeled off eight birdies in the morning round before putting paid to Ferrie's hopes with three more birdies in the afternoon.

"I made a lot of putts, and not short putts," the twice winner of the U.S. Open told a news conference. "I made a lot of long putts out there, which helps."

Top seed Goosen, chasing the richest first prize in golf (one million pounds ($1.81 million)), holed out from 10 and 12 feet respectively at the second and third before sinking an 18-footer on six and a 30-footer on eight.

He carried on in the same vein on the back nine, rolling in putts of 25 feet at the 10th and 14th.

World number 109 Ferrie was powerless to stop his opponent as Goosen drained another 30-footer for a birdie three at the first hole of the afternoon round.

"That's what happens when you are playing against one of the best players in the world," said the 26-year-old.

Hensby retrieved a three-hole deficit after 18 holes to knock out Montgomerie, who let the Australian back into the match by bogeying four of the first nine in the afternoon round.

Montgomerie lamented his performance over the second 18. "I rimmed a whole lot (of putts) this afternoon and didn't win a hole. Under those circumstances you probably don't deserve to win," said the Scot.

Donald never looked back after powering four up on Langer when the 48-year-old German bogeyed three of the first six holes.

Third seed Donald, 27, said Langer was a player he had always looked up to.

"He's very good at course management," said the Englishman. "He never forces shots and he plays within himself.

"I think some of those traits of his I've taken on myself. He's obviously someone I watched growing up and have a lot of respect for."

Donald now faces 2004 Ryder Cup team mate McGinley, who took advantage of a poor run of form by Bjorn in the afternoon.

The Dane was one up after 22 holes but lost his way with a double bogey at the fifth and bogeys at the seventh and ninth.

McGinley birdied the sixth, eighth and 12th and eagled the par-four 11th by holing his second shot with a pitching wedge.

Campbell disposed of Australia's Geoff Ogilvy one up and now faces Elkington, who lost in the final here to Ernie Els 10 years ago, after the Australian beat South African Tim Clark 6 and 5.

World number 13 Cabrera, the second-highest ranked player in the field after Goosen, will play Olazabal in Friday's last quarter-final encounter.

Cabrera went through with a 2 and 1 win over South African Trevor Immelman while Spaniard Olazabal edged Briton David Howell, one up.

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