- Associated Press - Sunday, February 19, 2012

MARANA, ARIZ. (AP) - Defending champion Luke Donald faces Ernie Els in the first round of the Match Play Championship. Tiger Woods is to play Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.

The seeding for the first World Golf Championship of the year is based on the world ranking released Sunday night.

Donald, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westood and Martin Kaymer are the top four seeds. Woods, a three-time winner of the Match Play is the No. 19 seed, the first time he has played this event without being among the top three seeds.

The 64-man field begins Wednesday at Dove Mountain. Phil Mickelson and Paul Casey are not playing.

The Donald-Els match is the highest-profile for an opening round since Woods played Nick Faldo in the inaugural event in 1999.

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