Graeme McDowell is 65th in the latest world rankings

McDowell was due to play top seed Tiger woods but the draw was reshuffled after Thomas Bjorn withdrew through injury.

Woods instead takes on Stephen Ames, while defending champion David Toms is pitted against England's Ian Poulter - the man he beat in the 2005 last four.

Scotland's Colin Montgomerie has been drawn against Niclas Fasth.

Third seed Retief Goosen will play England's Paul Broadhurst, while fourth-ranked Ernie Els will take on 2004 European Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer.

Bjorn's exit because of a neck injury came on the back of world number six Sergio Garcia's decision not to compete.

It all gets much more complicated when you play well! Revitalised Englishman Paul Broadhurst

His absence allowed McDowell into the tournament.

Woods, champion in 2003 and 2004, suffered a surprise first-round defeat in 2002 and lost in the second round last year.

Broadhurst, one of 17 Europeans taking part, is making his world championship debut after a rollercoaster career.

The 40-year-old played in the 1991 Ryder Cup but a decade later was struggling and had to go through the European tour's qualifying school twice finally regaining his tour card in 2002.

His victory in last April's Portuguese Open was his first for 10 years and he is currently in 10th place in the Ryder Cup points list, although Broadhurst is not convinced a second cap is a realistic proposition.

"I think you have got to be playing all the big events to have a chance really and I am not in a lot of them yet," he said.

"I have asked for an invitation to the Bay Hill Invitational (in Florida next month), but I don't know whether I will get it.

"It all gets so much complicated when you play well!

"When you are a bit lower down the rankings you just get the European Tour schedule and decide where you want to go."

Draw for Accenture Match Play Championship:
(Seeded positions in brackets)