This article is part of our Weekly PGA Recap series.
When we think of Bay Hill, the first name that comes to mind is Arnold Palmer. A close second is Tiger Woods, who's won the Arnold Palmer Invitational a record eight times. But Woods wasn't at this year's edition, thrusting the spotlight on world No. 1 Rory McIlroy. But McIlroy wasn't in contention , thrusting the spotlight on Henrik Stenson, who was lighting it up as he bid to move to No. 2 in the world. But Stenson collapsed with four holes to play on Sunday, thrusting the trophy on, of course, Matt Every.
When we think of Woods, Every will now come to mind (sort of), as they have combined to win the past four APIs. Every, a remarkable winner at Bay Hill last year, proved it was no fluke, rolling in an 18-foot birdie putt on the 72nd to edge Stenson by a stroke. Or at least Every proved that when a top player craters (last year it was Adam Scott), he's there to swoop in.
Stenson was strolling along -- and that may have been part of the problem -- with a one-shot lead heading to the difficult par-4 15th followed by the very short par-5 16th. Stenson had birdied 15 two of the first three days, while eagling and twice birdieing 16. But he and playing partner Morgan Hoffmann were put on the clock for slow play at 15. An irked Stenson proceeded to three-putt both holes, and instead of cementing the title, he found himself
When we think of Bay Hill, the first name that comes to mind is Arnold Palmer. A close second is Tiger Woods, who's won the Arnold Palmer Invitational a record eight times. But Woods wasn't at this year's edition, thrusting the spotlight on world No. 1 Rory McIlroy. But McIlroy wasn't in contention , thrusting the spotlight on Henrik Stenson, who was lighting it up as he bid to move to No. 2 in the world. But Stenson collapsed with four holes to play on Sunday, thrusting the trophy on, of course, Matt Every.
When we think of Woods, Every will now come to mind (sort of), as they have combined to win the past four APIs. Every, a remarkable winner at Bay Hill last year, proved it was no fluke, rolling in an 18-foot birdie putt on the 72nd to edge Stenson by a stroke. Or at least Every proved that when a top player craters (last year it was Adam Scott), he's there to swoop in.
Stenson was strolling along -- and that may have been part of the problem -- with a one-shot lead heading to the difficult par-4 15th followed by the very short par-5 16th. Stenson had birdied 15 two of the first three days, while eagling and twice birdieing 16. But he and playing partner Morgan Hoffmann were put on the clock for slow play at 15. An irked Stenson proceeded to three-putt both holes, and instead of cementing the title, he found himself tied with Every.
Every, who didn't so much as have a top-45 in a full-field event this season, shot four rounds in the 60s -- 68-66-69-66 for a 19-under 269. He will now get a return trip to the Masters next month, as well as berths in PGA Championship and WGC-Bridgestone.
This week's Valero Texas Open is the final chance for golfers to qualify for the Masters by cracking the top 50 in the world rankings (outside of winning the Houston Open the following week). Every entered 96th, but climbed into the top 40 with the victory.
MONDAY TAKEAWAY
Henrik Stenson
Stenson has been a machine since arriving stateside last month, with a pair of fourth-place showings before Bay Hill. He's surely peeved about moving to No. 2 in the world in the same breath in which he blew the tournament, but the Swede seems primed to make a run at his first major title at Augusta. Stenson will take this week off before prepping in Houston.
Morgan Hoffmann
Hoffmann will not be happy after opening the tournament with 66-65 and then grabbing the lead early on Sunday, but he is trending upward. In his last three tournaments played to completion, Hoffmann has his three best finishes of the season: T22 at Riviera, T17 at the Cadillac and solo fourth at Bay Hill (he also withdrew from the Honda and missed the cut at the Valspar). Hoffmann played perhaps the best back-to-back rounds of his young career after learning Thursday morning that his 97-year-old grandmother had passed.
Matt Jones
Jones birdied the last three holes to overtake Hoffmann for third. The Aussie jumped from 79th to 62nd in the OWGR, within sniffing distance of the top 50 and a Masters berth. Jones will tee it up this week in San Antonio and then in Houston, which he won last year to become the final entrant at Augusta.
Kevin Na
Na has had a typically quiet but solid season that has been getting louder by the week. He tied for sixth at Bay Hill, his third successive top 10 after the Cadillac and the Valspar. Na has four top-10s on the year and is 28th in the point standings. He's played the Masters only twice, but one was T12 in 2012, and Na will be back at Augusta next month.
Rory McIlroy
What to make of McIlroy? After missing the cut at the Honda in his first PGA Tour event of the season, he was T9 at the Cadillac and then T11 at Bay Hill. But he didn't contend either week, after an incredible stretch of worldwide finishes before that. McIlroy is still the overwhelming betting favorite to win his first Masters and what would be his third successive major. He will skip San Antonio, but no word yet on his participation in Houston.
Zach Johnson
What to make of Johnson? He has three top-10s on the season, but also three missed cuts in only eight starts, and he sits an uncharacteristic 83rd in the point standings. Johnson equaled his best round of the season on Sunday, a 66 that ultimately was a disappointment after he opened with five birdies in six holes to start sniffing around a 59. Johnson tied for ninth at Bay Hill, a good sign for a player needing any good sign just three weeks before the Masters.
Louis Oosthuizen
His back could go out at any moment (and often does), but the South African is on form in advance of Augusta. Oosthuizen tied with Johnson for ninth, his second top 10 in three U.S. starts this season. We know he can contend at the Masters, losing to Bubba Watson in that 2012 playoff. Last year, Oosty finished 25th at Augusta, but he has missed the cut the four other times he strolled Magnolia Lane.
Ernie Els
There's been an Ernie Els sighting! On a weekend! The Big Easy had not made a cut in his first four U.S. starts this season (the cut at Pebble Beach, however, was after 54 holes). But he tied for 13th at Bay Hill. He's 173rd in the point standings, No. 80 in the world and, at age 45, looking at five tough years before a potential Champions Tour bonanza. Els is in the field for the Masters, and all the majors, in fact, based on what now looks like his last hurrah, winning the 2012 Open Championship.
Harris English
The former Georgia Bulldog with more talent than results tied for 29th at the API. English entered the week tied for 52nd in the OWGR and left it dropping one spot to 53rd. English gets another shot coming up in San Antonio. He didn't play there last year, having already qualified for Augusta.
Adam Scott
Scott made the API cut, but with a T35 showing marked by continued weak putting with a conventional putter, he may have to make the embarrassing return to the broomstick for the Masters. Scott will not play in San Antonio and has yet to enter Houston, so he may not get any more tournament golf to rectify his woes. Nothing like Augusta's greens to expose poor putting.
Graeme McDowell
McDowell is, somehow, still No. 23 in the world, but based on his recent play stateside, you'd never know it. He missed the cut at Bay Hill following a T56 at the Cadillac and another MC at the Honda. McDowell this week will play the Texas Open for the first time, a pretty strong sign he feels his game needs work.
Chris Kirk
Another week, another edition of: What the Heck Is Going On With Chris Kirk? The runner-up in the FedEx Cup chase last year missed the cut at Bay Hill, his third MC in the past four starts. Kirk has one top-10 all season, and that was in October -- October! When the last baseball season was still going on (and on, and on). Kirk finished 20th at the Masters last year, but this year doesn't look like it will be so rewarding for him. Kirk will look for anything good to happen this week in San Antonio. Somehow, he's still No. 26 in the world.
