Australians Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman are set for tough matches against star opponents on day two of the World Golf Championships-Match Play in Texas.
Brisbane native Smith, making his WGC-Match Play debut, outlasted Patrick Cantlay on day one to earn a two-up win at Austin Country Club.
Having raced to a three-hole advantage, world No.50 Smith says withstanding a late fightback from Cantlay gives him a confidence boost to take on fifth seed Hideki Matsuyama in Thursday's second round.
"It was good match and Patrick came home pretty hard but I'll take a lot out of that win," Smith said.
"I played pretty solid. I don't think I made a bogey today, which is pleasing on a tough course."
Smith knows he will have to be sharp to beat world No.6 Matsuyama, who defeated countryman Yusaku Miyazato 2 and 1 in his first match.
"Hideki is one of the best players in the world so we'll be expecting a lot out of him," Smith said.
"But I have to stick to what I do best, keep grinding out scores and try outlast him."
Leishman was among several big scalps, taken 3 and 2 by unheralded American Julian Suri - the last man in the field who qualified when Dutchman Joost Luiten withdrew injured before the event.
Other upsets included defending champion and No.1 seed Dustin Johnson losing 3 and 1 to Bernd Wiesberger (52nd seed), Phil Mickelson falling 3 and 2 to Charles Howell III (59th) and 57th seed Peter Uihlein shocking last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational winner Rory McIlroy with a 2 and 1 win.
"Everyone here deserves to be here. Julian played good but I played terrible and I only had two birdies," Leishman said.
However, 11th seed Leishman refuses to lie down and is confident of turning his fortunes around in time to face two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson on day two.
"I'll never give up. If I win my next two matches I have a chance to go through," Leishman said.
"Bubba is a great player and he won (the US PGA Tour event in Los Angeles) recently so I'll have to play well to beat him."
Rounding out the Australian contingent was two-time WGC-Match Play winner Jason Day, who swept aside James Hahn 4 and 2.
Day now takes on former US PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner.
The elite 64-man WGC-Match Play sees the top points scorers from each four-man group advance to the round of 16 elimination matches.
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