WESTWOOD and Stricker were briefly held on the second tee due to the mist, although chief referee John Paramor said he did not anticipate any major weather issues.
"The fog has come, but it is not quite bad enough to call it off. There is no official stoppage,’’ he said.
Ryder Cup rookie McIlroy drew first blood for Europe by holing a 12-foot putt on the first to go one up, while Westwood and Stricker went through two all square as Luke Donald and Jim Furyk set off down the first.
Furyk, £7million winner of the FedEx Cup in Atlanta eight days ago when Donald was second, holed out for a half, but Westwood went one down after bogeying the par-three third following a scuffed second shot.
McIlroy was on an immediate roll though, punishing a subdued Cink by going two up after two.
With three matches under way, Europe were up in one, down in one and level in the other.
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