While Jason Day was the story of the week at the WGC Dell Match Play but it was a less than stellar performance for the other four Australians who teed up in Texas though there were still some positives.

Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Marcus Fraser all failed to advance past the pool stages but the fickle nature of the one on one format is as much to blame as any poor play.

At the top level 18 hole matches can turn on the smallest of momentum changes and with the calibre of player assembled in Texas there were never going to be any easy games.

Marc Leishman faced three of the game’s most experienced match players in his group, Ryder Cup stars Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood and former US Amateur champion Ryan Moore.

Moore squared their day one encounter by winning the 18th hole while Lee Westwood ground out a 1up victory on day two.

Sergio Garcia played his best golf of the week in the final round and would likely have overcome anyone on the day, a hole out eagle at the par-4 10th just one of the highlights of his round.

Matt Jones was up against it from the start, eventual finalist Louis Oosthuizen in rare form for the week and accounting for the Australian Open champ 2&1 on the opening day.

Jones was less than his best against England’s Andy Sullivan on day two but can take some comfort from an 18th hole birdie on day three to halve his match with Bernd Wiesberger.

Marcus Fraser had perhaps the most difficult assignment of all the Australians, coming up against an in form Zach Johnson on day one and suffering a comprehensive 4&3 defeat.

It was a better performance against Ireland’s Shane Lowry where Fraser fought hard to be 1-up through 17 holes but let the win slip with a bogey at the last for a half.

A slow start against dual major winner Martin Kaymer was never going to end well, the German racing to 4-up through four holes and ending the match at the same mark on the 15th green.

Many fancied the chances of Adam Scott at the start of the week but the reality is the 35-year-old’s record at this event is indifferent at best.

Still, he showed glimpses of the ball striking that has taken him to two victories already this year but will be particularly pleased with his putting which proved solid in all three of his matches.

While he didn’t advance beyond the pool matches there were plenty of positives for Scott with the Masters just a fortnight away.