Oliver Wilson, little known before he made his debut in last year’s Ryder Cup, produced a scintillating display of accurate iron play and putting to eliminate rising American star Anthony Kim from the Accenture Match Play Championship.

Wilson, 28, from Mansfield, and ranked 45 in the world, set a blistering pace on the front nine of the 7,849-yard, Jack Nicklaus-designed course at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, taking 32 strokes.

A 30ft putt which he holed across the green on the ninth hole was a body blow from which Kim never recovered and Wilson went on to secure a 2&1 victory.

Los Angeles native Kim, 23, became the first American under the age of 25 to win twice in one year on the PGA Tour since Tiger Woods in 2000 when he took last season’s Wachovia Championship and AT&T National titles.

Last year Woods said of him, “It’s just amazing how much talent this kid has”, which puts into perspective the magnitude of Wilson’s win.

“Anthony is a great player but I think the Ryder Cup maybe helped me a bit, knowing that I’ve already beaten him before,” said Wilson. “I went out there just trying to play well and that pulled me through a very tough match.”

At Valhalla last September when he made his Ryder Cup bow for Europe, Wilson was the only player of the 24 who had not won a Tour event.

He was regarded as Europe’s weakest link and when paired with Henrik Stenson to face America’s top twosome Kim and Phil Mickelson the omens were not good.

Yet he and Stenson rallied from a daunting position of four down to beat the Americans on the 17th green, with Wilson holing a tough 25-footer for victory.

He had to fight back against Kim again yesterday as the American took the lead on the first hole with a birdie three. But birdies on the second and third fired Wilson into a lead which he consolidated with two more before the turn.

By the 12th hole, he was five under for his round but Kim continued to battle grimly, winning the 13th with an eagle three before Wilson hit back with a superb iron into the 449-yard par-four 14th which settled 12in from the pin and yielded a birdie and another win.

Needing to hole a 10-foot putt for birdie on the 17th green, Wilson held his nerve to hole out for one of the best wins of his career.

He will face former Open champion Justin Leonard today for a place in the quarter-finals. With Padraig Harrington, the Open and US PGA champion, and world No 2 Sergio Garcia having both been knocked out on the opening day, Wilson’s win was the perfect response by the British and European contingent.

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