Palmer edges Allenby at Sony
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii | Round Four | 18 Jan 2010
Ryan Palmer is the 2010 Sony Open champion, a birdie at the 72nd hole at the Waialae Country Club near Honolulu moving him a narrow one shot ahead of his playing partner over the final two rounds, Robert Allenby.
Palmer and Allenby took a three shot lead into the final round but third placed Steve Stricker’s round of 65 and fourth placed Retief Goosen’s round of 62 made it clear that they would not have everything their own way.
When Palmer birdied the 10th he moved to 14 under and it appeared Stricker, at 13 under, might be his main danger as Allenby at that point was at 12 under. Stricker bogeyed the 15th but then holed a long birdie putt at the 17th to keep his hopes alive. A birdie at the last by Stricker might well have sent Palmer and Allenby a message but when he could not get up and down from a greenside bunker the world number three’s chances of victory were gone.
Allenby had birdied the 12th and 15th holes to draw level with the Texan and they settled down over the closing two holes to fight it out. Palmer had a realistic chance at the 17th from 12 feet but pulled his putt and the pair walked to the reachable par five last knowing a birdie was all but a necessity.
Both missed the fairway, Palmer first to play his approach which he left 10 yards short of the green. Allenby with a five iron in hand from a grassy lie hit a good shot but it bounded through the green. Allenby was first to play his pitch and left it 10 feet beyond the hole.
Then it was Palmer’s turn. His was an awkward shot to a front hole position but he hit the flag and stopped a foot away. When Allenby’s birdie attempt missed left it was all over, Palmer winning his third PGA Tour event.
Palmer joined the PGA Tour in 2004 after a successful season on the Nationwide Tour which had included a victory at the then Clearwater Classic in Christchurch when defeating Andre Stolz. That was only Palmer’s second ever start on the Nationwide Tour and along with his success in mini tour events gave proof that he was going places.
Palmer won in Las Vegas in his very first season on the PGA Tour and has played the PGA Tour since although he did lose full status for 2008 before a win that season got him back on track. 2009 was again a poor season for him but his win in late 2008 has allowed him to retain his playing privileges in 2010 and 2011 with this win adding yet another year.
Allenby was brave in defeat. He is playing some of his best golf right now. It was again another great ball striking week but what saw him going so close to his first PGA Tour win since 2001 was the putting improvement he has displayed in recent months.
Stricker was 3rd and Goosen 4th while Charles Howell, Carl Petterson and Davis Love were 5th.
Nathan Green was the next best of the Australians after Allenby putting together a very good weekend with rounds of 65 and 68 to continue a good run of form in the event. He finished in a share of 8th and has earned US$235,000 in his first two tournaments of the 2010 season.
Marc Leishman’s final round of 66 moved him to 20th, "Nick O’Hern":/players/2820-nick-ohern was 25th, David Lutterus 59th and Jason Day 64th.
The PGA Tour now heads east to California for this week’s 90 hole Bob Hope Classic.
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