Palmer birdies 18th to take Sony Open

Ryan Palmer went from anxious to overwhelmed in the 50 feet his chip shot traveled on the final hole until it struck the pin and settled inches away, leading to a 1-shot victory Sunday at the Sony Open in Honolulu.

Palmer, locked in a duel with Robert Allenby to the very end at Waialae, came up short of the green on the par-5 18th and faced a delicate chip. Allenby went over the green and pitched to just inside 10 feet.

Palmer thought his chip was a smidgen too hard, and he tumbled backward in relief when the ball struck the pin squarely. Allenby missed his birdie putt, and Palmer tapped in for a 4-under 66 and his third career PGA Tour victory.

"Lucky bounce," Palmer said. "It was probably going to go by 7 or 8 feet. I still hit a good chip. You need things like that to win."

The victory gave made the 33-year-old Texan exempt on the PGA Tour through 2012, and earned him a trip back to the Masters in April for the first time in five years.

Allenby was trying to win his third consecutive tournament on three tours, a feat believed to have never been accomplished, and he gave himself every chance. He played bogey-free on the back nine, but he needed one more birdie. His second shot out of the rough on the 18th came out hot and over the green, and he did well to give himself a realistic chance at birdie and a playoff.

Allenby, who won the Nedbank Challenge on the Sunshine Tour and the Australian PGA Championship on the Australasian PGA Tour at the end of last year, closed with a 67.

Palmer finished at 15-under 265 and earned $990,000.

Steve Stricker, who also shared the lead briefly on the back nine, had a 65 to finish third, 2 strokes back. Two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen closed with a 62 and was atop the leaderboard as Palmer and Allenby were making the turn, although his 12-under 268 never looked as though it would be enough.

Champions Skins Game: Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson held off defending champions Fuzzy Zoeller and Ben Crenshaw to win the Champions Skins Game in Kaanapali, Hawaii.

Nicklaus, who will be 70 on Thursday, and Watson birdied two holes to win three skins and $130,000 on the back nine. They finished with 10 skins and $350,000 for their second victory in the event in four years.

Joburg Open: South Africa's Charl Schwartzel won for second straight week, closing with a 5-under 66 for a 6-stroke victory in the Joburg Open in Johannesburg.