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 Every, who had not posted a top-25 finish since last June, had joked
pre-tournament with Tiger Woods that he would win again on the Bay
Hill course in Orlando where Woods has won eight times.
Every struck form in time to shoot a closing 66 and finish at
19-under-par 269, barely an hour’s drive from his hometown of
Daytona Beach.
Stenson (70) rued what might have been after bogeying the 15th hole
and failing to birdie the easy par-five 16th.
The Swede missed a 20-foot birdie at the last that would have earned
a playoff, but will still go into next month’s Masters as one of the
in-form players after posting his third straight top-four finish.
Every, 31, who is coached by Woods’ former instructor Sean Foley,
won last year’s event on the back of great putting, but this time
his long game paved the way to his second PGA Tour victory.
However, it was a slick downhill putt on the 18th green that finally
clinched the $1.134 million first prize, and a ticket to the
Masters.
“This guy in the crowd kept coughing ‘straight putt, straight
putt’,” Every told reporters. “I looked over it pretty hard and
didn’t see anything. It was a great putt to have under pressure too,
because I wasn’t going to come up short.
“You’ll take a win however you get it but it was cool to close one
out like that.”
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Runner-up Stenson is 62-under for his past 21 rounds worldwide, but
it was still a stinging loss for the world number three, who led
with four holes left.
Australian Matt Jones (68) finished two strokes behind Every in
third place, while American Morgan Hoffman (71) was fourth, four
strokes back.
Hoffman made a great start to the final round and took the lead with
five birdies in the first eight holes before a bogey at the par-four
ninth.
A double-bogey at the last, where he yanked his drive out-of-bounds,
only compounded his misery.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, editing by Gene
Cherry)
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