Adam Scott blows world No1 chance as Matt Every seals first Tour title

Matt Every secured his first PGA Tour title by coming out on top in a dramatic climax to the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Photograph: Willie J Allen Jr/AP

Adam Scott blew his chance to defend the US Masters as world No1 as Matt Every clinched his first PGA Tour title in a dramatic climax to the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Scott was seven shots clear of the field after 36 holes at Bay Hill and took a three-shot lead into the final round – but that advantage was wiped out by the time he reached the turn. The world No2 collapsed to a closing 76 to finish 11 under par – he was 10 under after a course record-equalling 62 on Thursday – two shots behind Every, who shot a final round of 70.

Scott's playing partner, Keegan Bradley, had looked out of contention after dropping three shots in the first three holes and carding further bogeys on the 10th and 11th but he birdied the 12th, 16th and 17th and narrowly missed from 30ft for another on the last to force a play-off.

A tearful Every, who grew up nearby and used to attend the tournament as a spectator, said: "It's really cool. I have had a lot of looks [at wins] and I kept telling myself maybe it's going to come somewhere special. I still can't believe I won. It's hard, it's tough, man. You just never know if it's going to happen. You get there [in contention] so many times and it's nice to get it done."

Scott had bogeyed the 1st after twice finding sand and a hooked drive into the water on the 3rd 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 4th but then bogeyed the 7th after his tee shot plugged in a greenside bunker.

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 recovered from a bogey on the 8th with birdies at the 9th, 10th and 12th to take the lead.

Another birdie on the 13th moved Every two ahead and the 30-year-old soon found himself three clear of the pack when Scott bogeyed the 14th. Scott's tee shot came up well short of the green but he elected to putt through the fringe, running his birdie attempt seven feet past the hole and missing the return.

A massive swing looked 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 with a towering iron shot as Every looked on, only to three-putt for par and remain two behind.

Every then found a greenside bunker on the 17th but saved par after his recovery shot slammed into the pin and somehow stayed out. Scott's challenge ended when he failed to save par from the same bunker but Bradley fired a superb approach to 10ft and holed for birdie.

A bogey from Every on the 18th then left the former US PGA champion Bradley needing a birdie there for the second day running to force extra holes but his long-range attempt slid just past the hole.