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Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, seeded 52nd at the
tournament, beat defending champion Johnson 3&1, while Peter
Uihlein (57th) defeated McIlroy (sixth) 2&1 at Austin Country
Club.
In another surprise, American Julian Suri, the lowest ranked of
the 64 men in the field, beat Australia's world number 15 Marc
Leishman, seeded 11th, 3&2.
McIlroy's defeat came three days after he won the Arnold Palmer
Invitational with a barnstorming final round.
The Northern Irishman said he had been a "little flat" early on,
though rallied late with five consecutive birdies to make it
close before a relieved Uihlein closed it out with a par at the
17th.
"I made him earn it at least. I made the scoreline a little more
respectable," McIlroy told reporters.
"I got down early and he didn't make a bogey all day. So it was
hard to sort of claw my way back."
McIlroy and the other Wednesday losers will get a chance to make
amends over the next two days as the tournament no longer uses a
knockout format until the weekend.
The 64 players are divided into 16 groups of four, with everyone
in each pod playing each other over the first three days. The
winner of each group advances to the final 16 and the
elimination stage.
Wiesberger said he played more freely without any burden of
expectation against top seed Johnson.
"I thought it was the easiest game I could have," said the
four-times European Tour winner.
"I'm the underdog playing the defending champion, so it was just
go out there and see what happens.
"We both didn't have a great day. He gave away a couple of holes
quite unexpectedly."
American Suri was another who reveled in the underdog role.
"I like to think I play my best with a little chip on my
shoulder," said Suri, who plays mainly on the European Tour
where he won the Made in Denmark tournament last August.
"A lot of people are saying congrats on being in the field. I
don't think any other tournament they'd say congrats. I want to
do more than just be here and take pictures."
Second and fourth seeds Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth won
their contests while third seed Jon Rahm halved with Keegan
Bradley.
Two-times Masters champion Bubba Watson made a hot start to beat
South African Branden Grace 5&3.
"It was perfect," Watson said of his front nine, after racing to
a 6-up lead at the turn.
"You couldn't ask for better. He (Grace) was under par on the
front nine and somehow I just made a few more. I felt like
McIlroy on Sunday."
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by
Peter Rutherford)
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