Matt Every clinches his maiden US Tour victory

American Matt Every clinched his first PGA Tour victory in dramatic fashion when he surged past a faltering Adam Scott to win the $6.2 million Arnold Palmer Invitational by one stroke in Florida yesterday.

Every started the final round four strokes behind Scott, but charged to the front with four birdies in a sizzling five-hole stretch around the turn at Bay Hill in Orlando as Scott faded to finish third.

The 30-year-old Every built a three-shot lead and had the luxury of bogeying the 16th and 18th holes.

He shot a 70 to finish at 13-under-par 275, while fellow American Keegan Bradley missed a long birdie attempt at the last that would have forced a playoff. Bradley (72) finished second on 12 under, with Scott (76) a shot further behind.

Seven clear
World number two Scott, in his final start before defending his Masters title, had a chance to tie when he found the green at the par five 16th in two, only to make a three-putt par.

Seven clear at halfway and seemingly heading for the 11th PGA Tour title which would have seen him reach world number one in time for the defence of his US Masters title, Scott had struggled to a third round of 71 on Saturday.

That saw his lead cut to three shots and that lead had been wiped out by the time the Australian reached the turn in the final round, Every joining Scott on 13 under par. Scott had bogeyed the first after twice finding sand, while it was a hooked drive into the water on the third which cost him another bogey.

The 33-year-old steadied the ship with a chip to four feet to set up a birdie on the par-five fourth, but then bogeyed the seventh after his tee shot plugged in a greenside bunker.

In contrast, Every was two under for his round after birdies at the fourth and ninth and a bogey at the eighth took him out in 35, the 30-year-old then had another birdie on the 10th.

Scott had held the outright lead since the early stages of his opening round on Thursday but that was no longer the case when Every made it three birdies in four holes on the 12th.

And that became four in five f on the 13th to double his lead and soon he found himself three clear of the pack when Scott bogeyed the 14th.

A massive swing looked to be on the cards on the 16th when Every pushed his tee shot into the trees and failed to find the fairway with his escape shot, eventually making a bogey six.

In the group behind, Scott found the green in two as Every looked on, only to then three-putt for par.

Graeme McDowell recorded a final round of two-under-par 70 for a total of 282 which earned a tie for 10th but the Portrush man was four under for his round and inside the top 10 on the tee at the par three 17th but he found the water there and double bogeyed for a five to drop back.

Pádraig Harrington’s hopes of a high finish vanished in a calamitous front nine of 44, eight over par. He started with a double bogey and then bogeyed six of the next eight holes.

He pulled things together in a level par back nine but his hopes of a Masters invitation look increasingly forlorn.