Ryan Palmer admitted he had got lucky after landing the third PGA Tour title of his career as he won the Sony Open in Honolulu at the 72nd hole from Robert Allenby.

Having duelled all day in the final group of the day, Australian Allenby missed a 10-foot putt at the last to leave fellow 54-hole leader American Palmer with a tap-in birdie for victory at the par-70 Waialae Country Club.

"You need things like that to win," Palmer said of his chip hitting the flag.

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

Allenby, who had struggled with a twisted ankle all week, said he was not too disappointed with the final outcome, despite missing out on a first title on the PGA Tour since the 2001 Marconi Pennsylvania Classic.

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

Palmer's four-under 66 gave him a one-stroke victory at 15 under par over Allenby (67), with Steve Stricker a further shot back following a 66.

Retief Goosen had earlier in the day set a low target with an eight-under-par 62 and the South African held the clubhouse lead until Stricker finished in the third from last group.

In ideal conditions, Goosen had recovered from an opening bogey to send down nine birdies around the par-70, 7,068-yard Hawaiian course and match his career lowest round, scored at the 2001 Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.

The 62 moved Goosen to 12 under par for the tournament, with Allenby and Palmer going out in the final group on 11 under.

World number three Stricker had also moved into contention with six birdies and a bogey getting him to 13 under after 13 holes and he gave himself a chance with a birdie at the 17th but failed to sink a birdie putt at 18 to close with a 65 at 13 under.

The leaders went to the par-five final hole in a tie with both men missing the fairway right with their tee shots. Palmer came up short of the green while Allenby was also left with a pitch after his approach ran out the back of the green and up against a camera tower.

The Australian took a drop but got a bad lie, nevertheless rolling his ball to 10 feet from the hole. That left Palmer with a chip-in for victory. He rifled his ball straight against the flagpole and instead of flying beyond the hole it stopped inches from the hole.

There was more fortune for the American when Allenby missed his putt and Palmer stepped up to tap in for victory.

Goosen finished alone in fourth while a 64 from Charles Howell III sent him to 12 under in a tie for fifth place with Sweden's Carl Pettersson (66) and Davis Love III (67).

England's Justin Rose finished strongly with a 64 to get to eight under and a tie for 12th on his 2010 debut, his first and third rounds of 72 and 71 preventing a higher finish having posted a second-round 65.

Fellow Englishman Brian Davis closed with a 73 to finish at two over par.