StarBulletin.com

Palmer picks up Sony


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POSTED: Monday, January 18, 2010

In a game measured by thousands of yards, it was a 5-inch birdie putt that won it for Ryan Palmer.

The 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii champion arrived at Waialae Country Club yesterday a little down in the bunker after his beloved Dallas Cowboys were shellacked by the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC divisional playoff game.

Determined not to match their playoff fate, Palmer took it one shot at a time, never deviating from the game plan he devised after reading a story on Zach Johnson earlier in the week. In that newspaper article, the 2009 defending champion talked about forgetting past shots and focusing on the ones you can control.

Palmer did just that on his third shot at the par-5 18th. After watching playing partner Robert Allenby sky out of the Bermuda from behind the green to within 9 feet for birdie, he eyed his own chip from 51 feet in front of the green. Palmer's eagle attempt almost flew into the hole, hitting hard off the pin to settle 5 inches from the cup.

“;The pin got in the way,”; said Palmer, who led wire to wire.

               

     

 

SONY OPEN IN HAWAII WINNERS

        2010: Ryan Palmer
       

2009: Zach Johnson

       

2008: K.J. Choi

       

2007: Paul Goydos

       

2006: David Toms

       

2005: Vijay Singh

       

2004: Ernie Els

       

2003: Ernie Els

       

2002: Jerry Kelly

       

2001: Brad Faxon

       

2000: Paul Azinger

       

1999: Jeff Sluman

       

 

       

Palmer fell on the seat of his pants, thinking he could have won it right there. Instead, he gave Allenby a birdie roll that just slid by the hole, handing Palmer his third tour win with the shortest shot he had all week.

“;I came out today with the same motto, the same idea that I had all week, just kept loose,”; Palmer said. “;I'm amazed at how calm I was. And playing with Robert, we had a good time again. We talked a lot today, which kept me loose. It was a great battle. Robert deserved just as much as I did to win, but fortunately I am the one who came out on top.”;

The graduate of Texas A&M fired a final-round 66 for a four-day total of 15-under 265. Allenby posted a 3-under 67 to finish at 14-under 266. World No. 3 Steve Stricker spent more time in the sand than his two children did at the beach, but still worked his way into contention with a hot putter. He closed with a 65 to manage a 13-under 267.

But on this day, it all came down to the final hole.

After missing makable birdie putts at the 17th, Allenby and Palmer hit a pair of drives that carried too far into the right rough. Palmer was a little farther back, but had a better lie than Allenby's. Palmer's 5-iron settled about 17 yards below the hole, a tough chip, but nothing compared to Allenby's after his 5-iron shot out of the rough like a bottle rocket with no plans of ever coming down.

The Australian knew on the first bounce that he was in trouble as it shot forward, rolled through the green and to the back of the grandstand. Allenby's free drop buried deep into the nasty bermuda grass, forcing him to hit a high chip to within 9 feet of the cup.

“;At the end of the day, realistically I needed to make a birdie at the last, knowing he was right in front of the green there,”; said Allenby, who played the entire tournament on a badly sprained ankle. “;I had a nasty lie with the chip. It was just horrendous.”;

The chip went as high as the grandstand and came down about 9 feet away, an uphill putt Allenby could make.

“;I hit it exactly where I aimed and I missed,”; Allenby said. “;I hit a solid putt. I hit a foot and a bit past, but I was not expecting for it to turn as much as it did.”;

For Allenby, it was his seventh runner-up finish. He hasn't won on the PGA Tour in nearly nine years, but in his last three starts in South Africa, Australia and the United States he has a first, first and second.

“;I think for me, I'm happy with second,”; Allenby said. “;It's a great way to start the year. and I think this is just a start of a really, really big year for me. You know, Ryan played great. He hit a lot of good shots and hit a lot of good putts. You know, I'm positive and looking forward.”;

For Palmer, it could also be the start of something big. He now has basically a three-year exemption, will get to play in The Masters and the PGA Championship and has a chance of working his way into the U.S. Open as well. Pretty good stuff for a parks and recreation major from Aggieland.

“;What I got out of this is beyond words,”; Palmer said. “;It was a great field with some of the top world players here. To do it every day here, I mean, my bad round was a 2 under (on Saturday). I never once got upset, impatient. To me, what I did today is probably one of the best rounds of golf I've ever experienced.”;

 

Sony Open scores

At Waialae Country Club

Purse: $5.5 million

Final Round

FedExCup points in parentheses

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
Ryan Palmer (500), $990,00065-66-68-66265
Robert Allenby (300), $594,00065-67-67-67266
Steve Stricker (190), $374,00066-67-69-65267
Retief Goosen (135), $264,00069-67-70-62268
Charles Howell III (100), $200,75073-66-66-64269
Carl Pettersson (100), $200,75066-70-67-66269
Davis Love III (100), $200,75065-69-68-67269
Omar Uresti (78), $154,00070-68-68-65271
John Rollins (78), $154,00070-69-67-65271
Chad Campbell (78), $154,00068-64-73-66271
Nathan Green (78), $154,00071-67-65-68271
Justin Rose (60), $111,37572-65-71-64272
Ernie Els (60), $111,37569-70-67-66272
Briny Baird (60), $111,37569-71-64-68272
Zach Johnson (60), $111,37565-67-70-70272
Stephen Ames (54), $85,25068-67-72-66273
Dustin Johnson (54), $85,25070-69-67-67273
Chad Collins (54), $85,25069-68-67-69273
Tom Lehman (54), $85,25066-69-68-70273
Jason Dufner (49), $61,82069-72-69-64274
Marc Leishman (49), $61,82069-69-70-66274
Mark Wilson (49), $61,82068-67-71-68274
Troy Merritt (49), $61,82065-71-70-68274
Jeff Quinney (49), $61,82066-67-72-69274
Brian Stuard (40), $35,43666-73-70-66275
Tom Gillis (40), $35,43671-68-70-66275
Spencer Levin (40), $35,43669-71-68-67275
Angel Cabrera (40), $35,43666-68-73-68275
Brian Gay (40), $35,43668-69-70-68275
Blake Adams (40), $35,43669-67-71-68275
Nick O'Hern (40), $35,43671-69-67-68275
Tim Clark (40), $35,43671-67-68-69275
John Merrick (40), $35,43665-68-72-70275
Shane Bertsch (40), $35,43666-68-71-70275
WC Liang (0), $35,43668-68-69-70275
Graham DeLaet (40), $35,43669-67-68-71275
Michael Allen (40), $35,43667-68-68-72275
Troy Matteson (40), $35,43667-67-68-73275
Kevin Johnson (31), $23,10068-71-70-67276
K.J. Choi (31), $23,10071-70-67-68276
Paul Goydos (31), $23,10072-63-69-72276
Rory Sabbatini (31), $23,10068-68-67-73276
Ryuji Imada (27), $19,25068-72-70-67277
David Toms (27), $19,25070-69-70-68277
Dean Wilson (27), $19,25071-67-69-70277
Chris Tidland (23), $14,96069-68-72-69278
Bubba Watson (23), $14,96069-70-69-70278
Y.E. Yang (23), $14,96070-69-69-70278
Richard S. Johnson (23), $14,96071-70-67-70278
Joe Ogilvie (23), $14,96069-71-67-71278
Pat Perez (23), $14,96066-70-69-73278
Stewart Cink (16), $12,69768-72-70-69279
Corey Pavin (16), $12,69771-67-71-70279
Vijay Singh (16), $12,69769-72-68-70279
Kevin Na (16), $12,69773-68-68-70279
Mark Calcavecchia (16), $12,69771-68-69-71279
Roger Tambellini (16), $12,69766-69-72-72279
Boo Weekley (16), $12,69771-68-68-72279
David Lutterus (11), $12,10073-67-70-70280
Martin Flores (11), $12,10066-74-69-71280
Jeff Klauk (11), $12,10070-68-68-74280
Rich Barcelo (9), $11,82570-71-69-71281
Ricky Barnes (9), $11,82567-69-70-75281
Brian Davis (6), $11,49570-69-70-73282
Woody Austin (6), $11,49570-69-70-73282
Jason Day (6), $11,49573-67-69-73282
Henrik Bjornstad (6), $11,49571-68-68-75282
Jim Carter (3), $11,16571-70-69-73283
Ryuichi Oda (0), $11,16568-72-69-74283
Jeff Maggert (1), $10,94573-66-71-75285
Bob Estes (1), $10,94568-70-69-78285
Made Cut, DNF
Alex Prugh (1), $10,61574-67-70211
Aaron Goldberg (0), $10,61570-71-70211
Jonathan Byrd (1), $10,61575-64-72211
Sean O'Hair (1), $10,61568-69-74211
Jerod Turner (1), $10,34071-69-72212
Fredrik Jacobson (1), $10,12070-71-72213
Ben Curtis (1), $10,12070-69-74213
Webb Simpson (1), $10,12071-68-74213
Kevin Hayashi (0), $9,90074-67-75216