Stenson Supplants Bubba in New Rankings


Despite finishing second to Matt Every amid controversy in Sunday's Arnold Palmer Invitational, Henrik Stenson moved up in the latest World Golf Rankings, which were released Monday.

The 38-year-old Swede supplanted two-time Masters' champion Bubba Watson in the No. 2 position behind Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy. The 25-year-old Northern Irishman finished tied for 11th at Bay Hill, eight strokes behind Every.

Watson didn't in the tournament, deciding to withdraw before it started after the death of one of his best friends and former teammate at Georgia, David Miller.

Stenson, who three-putted the 15th (for a bogey) and 16th (for par) on Sunday to fall out of the lead, later told reporters that by him and fellow playing partner, Morgan Hoffman, being put on the clock by a PGA Tour official hurt his chances to win.

"Really problems kind of started on 15," Stenson said. "We got on the clock again which when you're coming down the stretch you want to be able to have five extra seconds not to try and rush you routines and playing. So, on the green I didn't really have much time to look at my putt and rushed that one a little bit, the first one and three-putted.

"Morgan got a bad time on his second shot on 16 and again I kind of rushed my putting on 16 and three-putted that one. That's really what cost me the tournament. Those two three-putts on 15 and 16. I was 19-under and with 16 playing fairly short, I hit a lovely shot. But I was in between clubs and choosing to go with the longer club, water being farther.

"You'd rather be five yards past than five yards too short. Left a sneaky putt and being on the clock didn't make it any easier, that's for sure. Bit disappointed with the rules official pushed up that late in the round for no obvious reason."

The idle Watson moved down to No. 3 followed by Jason Day, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose in the top-10.

Meanwhile, Every rose from 96th to 40th to qualify for his second trip to the Masters.