Ian Poulter paid tribute to Henrik Stenson's great golf after he was eclipsed at The Players Championship by his Ryder Cup team-mate.
Sweden's Stenson won golf's "fifth major" by four strokes from the Englishman after posting the only bogey-free round of the final day at TPC Sawgrass, a six-under-par 66.
Both men had started the final round in a six-way tie for second at six under, five shots back on overnight leader Alex Cejka of Germany.
Poulter did little wrong, carding a three-birdie, one-bogey 70 yesterday to claim second place outright at eight under, his highest finish in a PGA Tour event, but he admitted he had simply been beaten by a better man on the day.
"It turned out to be a nice weekend after a bad Saturday," Poulter said. "I put myself in position Friday night, very disappointed last night to make a couple of poor swings at the wrong time and not play the par-fives how I would have liked to.
"But I was in with a big shout today and hats off to Henrik for putting his foot down and just pressing on past everybody."
Stenson's six-birdie round was all the more impressive to Poulter having come on greens which reminded him of St Andrews' dry and crusty putting surfaces at the 2000 Open.
"It's a hell of a round of golf out there today," Poulter said of the Swede's 66.
"Those greens, they were icy quick. I haven't really seen them that colour before outside of an Open to be honest with you.
"You have to hit it in the right spot certainly at times and you had to take a few pins on today, so if you missed it on the wrong shelf, there was no way you going to two-putt.
"Sixty-six is a great round."
Poulter's second place followed a tie for fifth at last week's Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina and the outgoing Englishman said he would take a lot from his best result yet in the USA.
"It always adds a little more confidence in that tank," Poulter said. "It's never that empty anyway but it's always nice to chuck a bit more in there and keep playing well, keep moving back up in the world rankings, to where I want to be, and keep working hard."
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