Defending champion Rory McIlroy insists he will need to play much better if he’s to advance past the round robin stages in the the defence of his WGC – Dell Match-Play Championship in Austin, Texas.

McIlroy was virtually gifted a 1 up victory when Danish opponent Thorbjorn Oleszen, and who had never been behind in their encounter horrible shanked his third shot from behind the green at the last.

The World No. 3 ranked McIlroy found the green in regulation and after Olesen played his fourth to nine feet from the hole he graciously conceded the hole to McIlroy who had putted his third to two foot seven inches.

Rory McIlroy signs autographs after winning 1 up over Dane Thorbjorn Olesen

“Scrappy,” was how McIlroy summed up his round.

“I don’t know if they used that one. The quality of golf out there wasn’t too good. I feel like it’s hard for the quality to be that good too because the wind is gusty.

“Even you see on 17, I felt like I had a great shot right over the pin and left it 10 or 11 yards big. It was always hard to judge your distance. I didn’t have my best stuff today, but I hung in there and hit good shots when you needed to.

“I felt like I played tee to green very well from sort of 14 on. So I’m just happy to get the win.

“So it was a day where you just sort of had to hang in there. With the wind it’s tricky. It swirls around here. It drops, it gusts. It’s tough to pick a club.

“I really struggled with that today. I hit some good shots, but I just had to grind out pars and that’s what I did coming in and ultimately that was good enough.

“But what I do know is that if I want to progress further in this tournament, I’m going to have to play better than I did today.”

McIlroy will now face American Kevin Na in Friday’s second round match and after Na defeated Smylie Kaufman 2 & 1 in his match.