• Sony Open 4th day

Ryan Palmer triumphs in Hawaii after final-hole drama

Ryan Palmer reacts to a 'good start' to 2010 © Getty Images

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Ryan Palmer was left with an easy tap-in birdie for victory after fighting tooth-and-nail with Robert Allenby to clinch the Sony Open in Honolulu.

The pair had begun the day tied at the top of the leaderboard in Hawaii and, prior to their final shots, that remained the case at the Waialae Country Club.

However, Allenby misjudged a 10-foot putt on the 18th hole to card a still highly respectable 67, leaving Palmer a dream finish for his third PGA Tour title. A tap-in for birdie secured victory, and a popular victory it was too in front of a packed crowd.

"My body felt great all week and I was strong mentally, stuck to my guns and took every day one at a time," said the triumphant Palmer as he received the trophy. "I came out here with a lot of hopes for the year and wanted to get off to a good start."

Third-placed Steve Stricker also became embroiled in the race for victory before eventually finishing a shot further back, one ahead of the fourth-placed Retief Goosen.

It was Goosen who set the benchmark on the decisive day's play, smashing nine birdies and a single bogey to equal his career best 62 on the par-70 course. Not since 2001 at Loch Lomond had he achieved such a feat.

Allenby and Palmer saw the South African leap a shot ahead of them, and the pressure initially seemed to take its toll as birdies were met with bogeys by either player during the early holes. Palmer then made his move, birdying at the fifth, eighth and tenth, but another bogey saw him tied with Stricker with seven holes still to come.

A failed birdie putt on 18 finally put paid to Stricker's chances, but Allenby and Palmer were still neck-and-neck going into the par five decider. The drama increased still further as both men made a mess of their fairway attempts, leading to equally troubling times as their follow-up approach shots missed the green.

The pivotal moment proved to be Palmer's chip for victory, which hit the pole and stopped dead, leaving all the pressure on Allenby after his own effort had stopped 10 feet short of the hole. The Australian's putt failed to find its target, allowing Palmer to savour the moment before sinking his victory shot.

"I gave myself a chance, that's all I can do but Ryan played awesome," Allenby said afterwards. "But that's golf, sometimes you win, sometimes you don't."

Elsewhere, Justin Rose will be left with a feeling of 'what might have been' after carding a final round 64 to go with his second round 65, leaving him to rue two scores of over 70 earlier in the tournament.

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