Every duplicates Bay Hill victory

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla.

Matt Every had a tongue-in-cheek response when he heard Tiger Woods was not ready to play the Arnold Palmer Invitational this year. He said he told Woods, “Don’t worry, man, I’ll hold it down for you until you get back.”

He did that and more.

Every was dressed in a blue shirt, not red, but the moment sure looked familiar on the 18th green Sunday at Bay Hill. He made an 18-foot birdie putt for a 6-under 66, gave an abbreviated fist pump and held onto the trophy for one more year with a one-shot victory over Henrik Stenson.

“You watch tournaments on TV and guys make a 20-footer on the last and everybody goes nuts,” Every said. “It’s cool to close one out like that.”

Every rallied from a four-shot deficit last year for his first career victory, helped in part by Adam Scott’s collapse in the final round.

This one was even sweeter.

Every came from three shots behind Sunday by matching the low score of the final round, and he was never seriously close to bogey on the back nine on his way to another handshake with Palmer and another trip to the Masters.

Needing a birdie to force a playoff, Stenson was wide left on a 20-foot putt at the 18th.

“It feels great,” Every said about his return to Augusta National. “When Henrik missed that putt, that was the No. 1 thing on my mind: ‘You’re already in. Miss it — I need to get in.”’

Stenson was angry with being put on the clock on the 15th hole — the second time the final group was out of position — and closed with a 70 to extend a peculiar streak on the PGA Tour. It was the ninth straight tournament in which a 54-hole leader failed to win, and the Swede let this one get away.

Warren JFK graduate Jason Kokrak shot a final-round 72 and finished in a tie for sixth place.