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Ryan Palmer wins Sony Open in Hawaii

Monday, 18 January 2010
Fergus Bisset
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Ryan Palmer

Ryan Palmer picked up his third PGA Tour title with a one-stroke victory over Robert Allenby in the Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club.

Palmer and Allenby shared the lead coming into the final round and the American and Australian traded blows through Sunday's play, Palmer eventually coming out on top on the 72nd green. Just short of the par-5's putting surface in two, he over-hit his eagle chip. But, with the ball looking like it would run well past the hole, it careered into the pin and stopped just beside the cup. When Allenby failed to make his birdie chance, the title went to Palmer.

"The grain was running against me. It was either going to hit it fat or do what I did. Fortunately, I got the good break," said Palmer.

Allenby, after winning the Nedbank Challenge on the Sunshine Tour then the Australian PGA Championship last December, was bidding to win three consecutive tournaments on three different tours. He couldn't have come much closer.

"I had a couple of chances out there," Allenby said. "It's so easy to look back and say, 'I could have made that, I could have made that.' But at the end of the day, realistically, I needed to make a birdie at the last."

Steve Stricker finished alone in third and Retief Goosen charged through the field with an excellent closing round of 62 to end the week in fourth spot.

Palmer claimed the winner's cheque for nearly $1 million, earned an invitation to The Masters and secured his playing rights on the PGA Tour to the end of 2012.

Sony Open in Hawaii
Waialae Country Club, Honolulu, Hawaii
Jan 14-17, purse $5,500,000, par 70

1   Ryan Palmer (USA)   65   66   68   66   265   $990,000
2   Robert Allenby (Aus)   65   67   67   67   266   $594,000
3   Steve Stricker (USA)   66   67   69   65   267   $374,000
4   Retief Goosen (RSA)   69   67   70   62   268   $264,000
T5   Charles Howell III (USA) 73   66   66   64   269   $200,750
T5   Davis Love III (USA)   65   69   68   67   269   $200,750
T5   Carl Pettersson (Swe)   66   70   67   66   269   $200,750
T8   Chad Campbell (USA)   68   64   73   66   271   $154,000
T8   Nathan Green (Aus)   71   67   65   68   271   $154,000
T8   John Rollins (USA)   70   69   67   65   271   $154,000
T8   Omar Uresti (USA)   70   68   68   65   271   $154,000

Note: Player scores in bold signifies Titleist ball usage only