NEDBANK CHALLENGE DRAMA

Allenby beats Stenson in

play-off in South Africa

Robert Allenby became the first Australian to win the South African Sunshine Tour's Nedbank Challenge today. He beating Ryder Cup Swede Henrik Stenson at the third hole of a sudden-death play-off at the Gary Player Country Club, Sun City, Johannesburg.
Allenby, pictured, finished the regulation 72 holes with a one-under-par 71 for a total of 11-under 277. Stenson made up two shots with a 69 for the saem total.
on the third playoff hole after a 1-under 71 in the final round.
The play-off was held on the par-4 18th, which both players bogeyed in regulation.
They scrambled to halve the hole in the first two play-off rounds before Allenby reached the green with his second shot for the first time in seven attempts in the third round. Stenson, meanwhile, went through the green and then chipped 25 feet past the pin. Allenby two-putted from about 5 feet for the win.
“I thought we were going to be there all night,” Allenby said. “But I’m proud to be the first Australian to win this title, and I knew once Henrik pushed his approach out right (in the third round), I had a chance if I could hit the green in regulation.”
Overnight leader Retief Goosen surprisingly faded out of the picture with a closing 75 to finish fifth in the 12-man field.
Tim Clark had a 69 and Ross Fisher shot a 70 to share third, while Masters champion Angel Cabrera was sixth after a 75.

REPORT FROM THE PGA OF AUSTRALIA WEBSITE:
Australian Robert Allenby ended four years without a win in South Africa - and nobody would have been surprised it came in sudden death.
Allenby beat defending champion Henrik Stenson at the third extra hole of the Nedbank Challenge at Sun City, his 11th play-off victory in 12 attempts.
The pair had both picked up bogeys at the closing hole to finish on the 11-under-par mark of 277 and then parred the 502-yard 18th twice before Swede Stenson bogeyed it again.
Allenby had struck a glorious second to seven feet and two-putted for a first prize of more than $A1.3 million. It was his first success since his 2005 hat-trick of Australian Open, PGA and Masters titles.
Stenson was a runner-up for the second Sunday running. Last week it was with Robert Karlsson at the World Cup in China.
England's Ross Fisher and South African Tim Clark tied for third on 10-under, Fisher just missing a 20-footer to make the play-off, while Retief Goosen, two in front overnight, dropped to fifth with a 75.
Stenson, winner by nine on 21-under last year, came from four behind to one in front, thanks to an eagle on the 10th and birdies at the 13th, 15th and 17th, but there were also two bogey 6s on his card and he three-putted the last for a 69.
Allenby then moved in front with a 14-footer on the 17th before pushing his approach and failing to get up and down.
He had to make a five-footer to stay alive on the first extra hole and at the next saved his par after driving into sand.
Things started going wrong for Goosen when he left a bunker shot in the sand at the fifth and, like Stenson, he found the lake at the ninth and took another 6 after a wild second to the 14th.
"I'm glad that's over," said Allenby on the tournament's official website, www.nedbankgolfchallenge.co.za.
"After bogeying the 72nd I knew I had a second chance and my record in play-offs is pretty good."
"I did think we were going to be here all night at one stage, but once I saw Henrik hit it out right I knew he had a difficult shot."
"The only thing in my mind then was hitting my six-iron straight at the pin and I hit it absolutely perfectly."

FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72) 7590yd
Prizemoney in South African Rand
277 R Allenby 68 70 68 71, H Stenson 70 68 70 69 (Allenby, 122,200, bt Stenson, 88,650, at third play-off hole.
278 T Clark 69 72 68 69, R Fisher 73 69 66 70 (55,100 each).
279 R Goosen 69 68 67 75 (36,250).
281 A Cabrera 71 67 68 75 (29,300).
282 N Watney 73 73 63 73 (24,300).
283 L Donald 72 71 68 72 (21,200).
284 R Karlsson 70 72 71 71 (18,900).
286 H Mahan 70 71 72 73 (13,350).
292 R Sterne 72 75 70 75 (16,200).
Retired: R McIlroy 73 76 - - (15,450).