Els trounces Monty at Wentworth

Six-time champion Ernie Els trounced Colin Montgomerie 6&5 in their 36-hole first-round match of the HSBC World Match Play at Wentworth.

Defending champion Paul Casey romped to a 3&2 win against American Jerry Kelly but Open champion Padriag Harrington crashed out 4&2 to Dane Anders Hansen.

England's Justin Rose also lost 5&4 to American Hunter Mahan.

US Open champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina downed South Africa's Retief Goosen 6&5.

Dane Soren Hansen came back from one down after 18 to beat South African Rory Sabbatini 4&3.

Sweden's Henrik Stenson was level with American Woody Austin with one hole left before play was suspended for the light and set to resume at 0800 BST on Friday.

Argentine Andres Romero, who led the Open before finishing double-bogey, bogey, led Swede Niclas Fasth by two after 32 holes.

Wentworth local Els was never headed and from the seventh onwards never less than two up against three-time PGA Championship winner Montgomerie.

The world number five surged to five up after 18 and reached seven up four holes later, though Montgomerie battled to keep the game alive until the 31st hole.

Els defeated Montgomerie twice in US Open play-offs and eclipsed the 44-year-old Briton in the 1994 Match Play final.

Casey, who beat American Shaun Micheel 10&8 to win �1m last year, was never behind over the first 18 holes.

But he saw a three-shot lead after six whittled back to level after 12 before surging three ahead again on 18.

In the afternoon, he reached five up after eight but Kelly reduced the deficit to two holes at the 15th before Casey sealed the win with a birdie on 16.

Casey will play the big-hitting Cabrera, who was two down after his first seven holes before a birdie spree, in the second round.

"I hope I can bore him to death - down the fairway, on the green, lots of birdie chances," said Casey.

"He will be 20 yards ahead of me, but I just have to be more consistent than he is.

"I'm going to have to play better golf than I did today. I feel very lucky."

Harrington struggled and was chasing PGA champion Hansen from the eight hole of their first round.

Cabrera, who won the PGA Championship over the West Course in 2005, said: "Everything felt very good and I always love being here at Wentworth.

"From the moment I stepped on the first tee and hit my first shot down the middle I felt good."

Round one results (36 holes):
(1) Paul Casey (Eng) beat (16) Jerry Kelly (US) 3&2

(8) Retief Goosen (SA) lost 6&5 to (9) Angel Cabrera (Arg)

(5) Justin Rose (Eng) lost 5&4 to (12) Hunter Mahan (US)

(4) Rory Sabbatini (SA) lost 4&3 to (13) Soren Hansen (Den)

(3) Padraig Harrington (Ire) lost 4&2 to (14) Anders Hansen (Den)

(6) Henrik Stenson (Swe) all square after 35 holes against (11) Woody Austin (US)

(7) Niclas Fasth (Swe) 2 down after 32 v (10) Andres Romero (Arg)

(2) Ernie Els (SA) beat (15) Colin Montgomerie (Sco) 6&5

Source: BBC Sport