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Monty handed tough test in World Match Play first round

18/02/2008

Scotland's Colin Montgomerie has been drawn against American Jim Furyk in the first round of this week's World Match Play Championship in Arizona.

The experienced pairing is one of a number of intriguing ties at the Dove Mountain tournament, which starts on Wednesday.

Two of Britain's best hopes of victory in Tucson, Luke Donald and Nick Dougherty, will face one another in the opening round.

And there are two other all-European ties as England's Ian Poulter takes on Dane Soren Hansen and Paul Casey meets Swedish star Robert Karlsson.

Having been expected to miss the tournament last week, South Africa's Ernie Els has decided to play and will go up against Jonathan Byrd.

Brett Wetterich's withdrawal because of injury gives world number 65 JB Holmes the dubious honour of facing top-ranked Tiger Woods in the first round, and Open champion Padraig Harrington takes on another American Jerry Kelly.

England's Lee Westwood plays Brandt Snedeker while Zach Johnson against David Toms, Aaron Baddeley versus Mark Calcavecchia and Rory Sabbatini against Bradley Dredge are among a number of other big-name ties for the opening round.

Full first-round draw for World Match Play Championship (seeding in brackets):

(1) Tiger Woods v (64) JB Holmes
(32) Mike Weir v (33) Arron Oberholser
(16) Zach Johnson v (49) David Toms
(17) Aaron Baddeley v (48) Mark Calcavecchia
(8) Rory Sabbatini v (57) Bradley Dredge
(25) Paul Casey v (40) Robert Karlsson
(9) KJ Choi v (56) Camilo Villegas
(24) Ian Poulter v (41) Soren Hansen
(4) Ernie Els v (61) Jonathan Byrd
(29) Retief Goosen v (36) Andres Romero
(13) Henrik Stenson v (52) Robert Allenby
(20) Trevor Immelman v (45) Shingo Katayama
(5) Adam Scott v (60) Brendan Jones
(28) Toru Taniguchi v (37) Woody Austin
(12) Sergio Garcia v (53) John Senden
(21) Martin Kaymer v (44) Boo Weekley
(2) Phil Mickelson v (63) Pat Perez
(31) Stuart Appleby v (34) Tim Clark
(15) Geoff Ogilvy v (50) Justin Leonard
(18) Lee Westwood v (47) Brandt Snedeker
(7) Justin Rose v (58) Rod Pampling
(26) Scott Verplank v (39) Nick O'Hern
(10) Vijay Singh v (55) Peter Hanson
(23) Niclas Fasth v (42) Richard Green
(3) Steve Stricker v (62) Daniel Chopra
(30) Richard Sterne v (35) Hunter Mahan
(14) Angel Cabrera v (51) Anders Hansen
(19) Luke Donald v (46) Nick Dougherty
(6) Jim Furyk v (59) Colin Montgomerie
(27) Stephen Ames v (38) Charles Howell
(11) Padraig Harrington v (54) Jerry Kelly
(22) Stewart Cink v (43) Miguel Angel Jimenez