ORLANDO, Fla. -- Peter Hanson withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard on Thursday morning, citing a neck injury.

Because Hanson had yet to tee off -- he was in the afternoon wave -- he'll be replaced by Chris Stroud.

Hanson had played well in his last two starts, tying for eighth at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship and 13th at The Honda Classic.

MARANA, Ariz. -- Peter Hanson came into his match with Webb Simpson having won four of his last five matches at the Accenture Match Play Championship and reaching the quarterfinals last year.

The American hung tough on the back nine Friday, though, and eeked out a win when he made a 17-footer for birdie on the 18th hole. That 1-up advantage marked the only time Simpson had led in the match.

Hanson won two of the first three holes to take a 1-up advantage. Simpson then squared the match with a par at the seventh but Hanson responded by winning the eighth and 10th to carve out a 2-up advantage.

The Swede had take a drop in the desert on the par-5 11th hole and ended up conceding to Simpson there. When the reigning U.S. Open made a 14-footer for birdie at the 12th the match was square again.

Simpson had his troubles on the next par 5 and made bogey to give Hanson back the 1-up lead. But the former Wake Forest All-American squared the match with a par at the 14th hole and halved the next four with three pars and a birdie to set the stage for his heroics at No. 18.

"We went back and forth, it was almost like a boxing match, exchanging punches," said Simpson, who noted he has been sick all week. "But I had a feeling coming down the last couple holes, and we were able to hit some good shots coming in." 

SCORECARD STATS: Simpson made four birdies and three bogeys. Hanson made four birdies and three bogeys. There were two other conceded holes, both resulting in Hanson wins.

HOLES WON: Simpson won six holes. Hanson won five holes.

NEXT OPPONENT: Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who beat Charles Howell III 6 and 5

MARANA, Ariz. -- Sweden's Peter Hanson, a No. 5 seed, beat 12th-seeded Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, 3 and 2, in their first-round match.

Hanson will now face Webb Simpson in the second round of the Player bracket. Not bad for someone who is battling a bulging disk and would have struggled to play had his match started on Wednesday. But an extra day of rest allowed him to get treatment and exercise.

"I was just trying to focus on putting good swings on the ball and not getting too much pain in the lower back," Hanson said.

Hanson was 2 down at the turn after a bogey at the ninth hole. But he birdied the 10th and 11th holes to square the match. He then grabbed the lead with a birdie at the par-5 13th.

Bjorn, who failed to make a birdie the entire round, suffered just his second bogey of the day at the par-4 14th to fall 2 down. Hanson then birded the next hole.

To help with his back problems, he plans to continue sleeping on a firm surface he has created in his hotel room with wood planks. Or ...

"I'll probably sleep here on the paving stones," he said.

 

To preview the 2013 PGA TOUR season, PGATOUR.COM is counting down the Top 100 Players to Watch in 2013. For an archive page with the top 100 players and for an explanation on how the list was compiled, click here .

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MORE TOP 100: Back to No. 47 | Forward to No. 45 | Top 100 archive

2013 PREVIEW: Swede Peter Hanson will be playing the PGA TOUR full-time after earning enough as a special temporary member to finish among the top 125. A top-20 player in the world, Hanson had six European Tour wins -- will 2013 bring his breakthrough in the United States?

2012 DEFINING MOMENT: Hanson came up big in the big events this year -- tying for third at the Masters, where he led by one entering the final round, and seventh at the PGA. He also finished fifth or better in two of the World Golf Championships. –- Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM

ALBERS’ QUICK TAKE: The Swede played in just 11 PGA TOUR events in 2012 and yet still made more than $800,000 and almost won the Masters where he finished third. Hanson is a very good wedge player -- in fact he's ranked first on TOUR in approaches between 50-75 yards. All of his stats are unofficial because he did not play in enough events to be officially ranked. Hanson seems to play well in top events, posting top-10 finishes at Qatar, the WGC-Cadillac Championship and Augusta. -- Fred Albers, SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio

BOLTON’S FANTASY OUTLOOK: The 35-year-old Swede will be a rookie on the PGA TOUR in 2013. That brings salary gamers back into play at $1.511 million. Meanwhile, he's proven that he can succeed anywhere, so all that's missing is a victory in a field where the world's best appear. He's been close on numerous occasions, so it's only a matter of time. I loved him entering 2012 and he delivered, and I'm not wavering. Go get him. -- Rob Bolton, PGATOUR.COM Fantasy expert

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2012 QUICK REVIEW

Regular Season ranking N/A

Final Playoffs ranking N/A

Best finish

T-3rd

The Masters

By the Numbers Starts: 11 Cuts made: 9 Rounds played: 36 Top-10 finishes: 4 Money List rank: N/A

TOUR ranking* Driving distance: 31st Driving accuracy: 124th Greens in regulation: 39th Strokes gained-putting: 88th Scoring average: 39th

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* -- Stats are unofficial because Hanson did not play enough events

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

What is your prediction for Peter Hanson in 2013? Fill out the form below and let us know

By PGATOUR.COM staff

Five top international players will be joining the PGA TOUR for the 2013 season after playing as non-members in prior seasons.

Japan's Ryo Ishikawa, Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts, Sweden's Peter Hanson and England's David Lynn have committed to the TOUR next year after qualifying through the top 125 non-member money list.

In addition, Germany’s Martin Kaymer is joining the TOUR through his five-year exemption as the 2010 PGA Championship winner.

Colsaerts, Hanson, Kaymer and Lynn will be considered PGA TOUR rookies in 2013. Ishikawa’s 2012 season is considered his rookie season as he played in more than 10 events after joining the TOUR as a Special Temporary Member on March 19.

Here’s a quick look at each player:

	NICOLAS COLSAERTS Belgium	Has made 11 starts on the PGA TOUR, nine in 2012. Has two top-10 finishes. Leads European Tour in driving distance
	PETER HANSON Sweden	Has made 45 starts on the PGA TOUR, 11 in 2012. Has seven top-10 finishes. Tied for third at this year’s Masters
	RYO ISHIKAWA Japan	Has made 44 starts on the PGA TOUR, 18 in 2012. Best finish on TOUR was second this year at Puerto Rico Open
	MARTIN KAYMER Germany	Has made 47 starts on the PGA TOUR, eight in 2012. Has two wins – 2010 PGA, 2011 WGC-HSBC Champions
	DAVID LYNN England	Has made two starts on the PGA TOUR. Finished second at the PGA Championship

By John Schwarb, PGATOUR.COM

Rory McIlroy romped to an eight-shot win at the PGA Championship thanks to some game-sharpening in the last few months with swing coach Michael Bannon and putting advisor Dave Stockton. A swing that had gotten just loose enough was tightened, and we saw the results.

The results were also helped by some key tweaks in his Titleist arsenal.

McIlroy led the field in driving distance at Kiawah Island with an impressive 311.5-yard average, all with a Titleist 913D3 prototype driver. McIlroy was first fit for the new driver last month at home in Ireland before the Irish Open, using his two-year-old 910D2 as a base point.

“This one just performs so much better,” McIlroy said at the Irish Open. “I’m getting less spin, which is great in the wind, and it carries 15 yards further in calm conditions.”

Think he knew with that quote that he was ready for The Ocean Course?

McIlroy’s other new additions include a 17-degree Titleist 910F 5-wood (with a Fujikura ZCom Pro 95 graphite shaft), first put into play two weeks ago at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. That replaced a 503i 2-iron he played at the British Open and an 18-degree 906F 5-wood he had in the bag since turning pro. McIlroy also had his 712 MB irons replaced at Firestone after the grooves were getting worn.

Besides leading the field in driving distance, McIlroy led the field in birdies (20), was 10th in putting average (1.688) and 13th in greens in regulation (67 percent).

MAJOR WRAP: McIlroy also played a Titleist ProV1x ball, joining Bubba Watson (Masters) and Webb Simpson (U.S. Open) as major winners with the ProV1x. Ernie Els won the British Open with a Callaway Hex Black Tour. As far as winners’ full product lines, Titleist owned half the major count with McIlroy and Simpson, while Watson carries Ping and Els is with Callaway.

CRISIS AVERTED: Would you be nervous if your longtime putter broke during a Tuesday match before the year’s final major? That’s what happened to Keegan Bradley when his Odyssey belly putter, “The Tooth”, snapped while playing with Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler.

During play, the “spud” broke, a piece that secures the putterhead to the shaft. Fortunately, an Odyssey rep at Kiawah came to the rescue and used the old shaft with a new White Hot XG Sabertooth head. Voila, the “Tooth 2.”

“No worries at all,” Bradley said last week. “It’s amazing, with my old shaft it looks the exact same, there’s no difference.

Bradley and the Tooth 2 finished T3 at the PGA.

MORE NEW STUFF: Pat Perez, in the picture at the PGA for the first two rounds before finishing T21, used a new TaylorMade Ghost Spider prototype putter. … Peter Hanson finished T7 with the same Ghost Spider prototype and a new 18-degree TaylorMade Rescue 11.

WINNER’S BAG: McIlroy at the PGA Championship:
Driver: Titleist 913D3 (Mitsubishi Diamana proto 70X, 8.5 degrees)
Fairway woods: Titleist 906F2 (13 degrees), Titleist 910F (17 degrees)
Irons: Titleist MB (3-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM4 (46, 54, 60 degrees) 
Putter: Scotty Cameron GSS 
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- In 2008, Robert Karlsson tied for eighth at the Masters, which remains the highest finish ever by a Swede in the season's first major championship.

"I hope it will be broken by two today," the good-natured Karlsson said Sunday after finishing off a round of 71.

Two of his countrymen, Peter Hanson and Henrik Stenson, were still awaiting their tee times in the final round of the 76th Masters. Hanson, who finished in the top-five at both World Golf Championships this year, owns a one-stroke lead at 9 under and will play with Phil Mickelson in the final group.

Meanwhile, Hanson's childhood friend, Stenson, trails by five.

A Swede has never won a major championship. Jesper Parnevik finished second at the British Open in 1994 and '97 while Niclas Fasth did the same in 2001. Karlsson would love for that drought to end on Sunday.

"Obviously it would mean a lot," Karlsson said. "Swedish golf has been close a couple of times with Jesper, he's had a few chances. Peter's never been this close but he showed earlier on this year that he can play well with the best players. Now it's just for him to see if he can put together another good round.

"Obviously, it will not be easy with Phil in the last group even though Phil is a great guy to play with so it's not that. But the atmosphere if Phil starts to play good, it's going to be challenging. Hopefully (Peter) can feed off it as well. So we'll see."

Karlsson is eight years older than Hanson so the two didn't really get acquainted until both were playing on the European Tour. They did team up once in the World Cup, though.

"He's a very, very solid player," Karlsson said. "I thought if he was going to win one of these it most likely was not going to be this one because his game is more set up for a U.S. Open-style golf course because he's a very very solid ball-striker. This is more of a long-hitter's and short game course, which I probably  wouldn't say is his stronger suit.

"But if he keeps playing like he's doing, he's definitely taken a step up and developed a lot this year and proven to himself that he can play under these circumstances. So that's good."

By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent AUGUSTA, Ga. -- He's trying to win the Masters. With a snowman. And a double. And two eagles, 13 birdies and an assortment of seven bogeys, most of them seriously ill-timed. Sprinkle that over three rounds and Henrik Stenson has had enough ups and downs to send him straight to the therapist. No passing go. No changing shoes in the locker room. So how in the devil is he sitting at 4-under heading into the final round of the 2012 Masters just five shots back of close friend and leader Peter Hanson and with a shot -- assuming there are no more EKG spikes -- to win this darn tournament? He wonders too. "It's kind of exhausting every time you come off 18,'' said Stenson, who tied for 17th in both 2007 and 2008. "I mean, I'm mixing some really good stuff with some (crummy) stuff and making some nice putts and some great saves.  It's a bit of a mixed bag, but it's great to be out there on Saturday afternoon playing in front of these crowds. "Every time you kind of hit a good shot, you get the response.  So it's a great atmosphere out there and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.'' What's he got to lose? Or fear? "I'm not worried that the wheels are going to come off tomorrow because they have been off so many times already,'' he said "It's just fun to go out and try and make birdies and save myself out of impossible situations when they occur. I'll have a good time tomorrow.'' "At least I'm getting closer to breaking 70." There have been times this week when 70 was not even close -- from either side. He was either going to shoot in the 60s or head north toward 80. Nothing much in between.  Case in point? Round one when he was 5-under going into 18 and took an 8, better known as a snowman. Or Saturday when he's looking at going low and limps home with  bogeys at 13, 14 and 18. "I think it shows a lot about the fighting spirit,'' he said. Indeed. Every time you'd write him off, he'd bounce back onto the leader board. "I think i hit more fairways today,'' he said. "But then I hit a 9-iron and i can't get it on the green from 145 meters. . . I'd like to feel more confident, but I'm going to try to secure a spot and go out and try to stay patient.'' No matter what, he said, at least there are two Swedes going for the country's first major. He and Hanson -- "He's got a  solid game, he's a good iron player but the key for him this week is he's rolling the putts," Stenson said -- have competed against each other in Sweden since they were 18 or 19, he said. They started the amateur circuits together and now they're both at Augusta with a chance. So will he be trying to beat Hanson? Or be cheering for him? "A bit of both,'' he said. "You want to beat all the other guys, but we're friends. And we're both going after the same thing." Assuming Stenson can hold it together better than he has. "If you are within three or four shots entering the back nine, you are always going to have a chance,'' he said. "We'll see if we need to start take more chances.  But I can only do the best I can with whatever game I have.  If it's enough, it's enough.  But the way Peter and a few of the other guys are playing, it's going to be a tough day to beat them tomorrow.'' And, just so you know, Stenson hasn't ever won a tournament when he's made an 8. "I haven't made that many 8s,'' he said, grinning."Thankfully.''

By  Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM contributor AUGUSTA, Ga.  -- It was a good walk . . . that wasn’t the least bit spoiled. Peter Hanson stopped short of calling it a blast, but it wasn’t far from it. Try an opening 68, which left him one shot behind Masters first-round leader Lee Westwood, not to mention two shots better than playing partners two-time 2012 winner Hunter Mahan (72) and two-time Masters champ Phil Mickelson (74). Playing in the final group of the day, Hanson, who missed the cut in his Masters debut in 2011, got hot on the back nine with birdies at 11 (20 feet), 12 (30 feet) and 17 (six feet) to share second place with Louis Oosthuizen. “I kind of walked pretty close to Phil through all of these tight, roped areas, in between greens and tees,’’ said Hanson, who has three top-10s this season. “Kind of just enjoying it. “The crowd, they love Phil, and I can pretty much understand why, being such a fantastic player and won here three times. So it was kind of nice to get a little bit of that.  Even if it was not meant for me, I was kind of taking it on a bit and kind of enjoyed it.’’ Hanson was paired with Tiger Woods in Abu Dhabi, which gave him an inkling of what it’s like to play in a star-studded group. But that wasn’t at Augusta National in the first major of the year. “This golf course, it's scary one way, because if you go out here, you're not playing well, and if you try to avoid making bogeys like I maybe did last year when I got here, it comes up and bites you pretty fast,’’ Hanson said. “My mind‑set today was try be to really aggressive off the tee and be pretty aggressive into the greens, and I managed to do that all the way around and I think that helped me a lot.  Like you said, if you start thinking about who you are playing with and where you are at and playing Major Championships, then it's going to come back to you pretty quick. “I thought mentally I was very strong today, so that was nice.”

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The PGA TOUR announced Tuesday that Peter Hanson has accepted special temporary membership for the remainder of the 2012 season.

In three starts, Hanson has earned $644,765 thanks to top-five finishes at the first two World Golf Championships of the year (T5 at the Accenture Match Play Championship and T4 at the Cadillac Championship). The $644,765 total surpasses the $411,943 (No. 150 on 2011 money list) needed for special temporary membership.

Hanson, 34, is eligible to receive unlimited sponsor exemptions for the remainder of the season.

Non-members are allowed a maximum of seven sponsor exemptions and can play a maximum of 12 TOUR events. Special temporary members are not eligible to receive FedExCup points.

Hanson has the opportunity to join the TOUR as a regular member for the 2013 season should his World Golf Championships money and official prize money equal or exceed 125th place on the 2012 money list.

Hanson is playing this week’s Shell Houston Open as one of the event’s four sponsor exemptions designated for nonmember professionals who are qualified for the Masters and are ranked among the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking (Hanson is No. 25).