HONOLULU -- Ryan Palmer expected the worst when his chip from 50 feet short of the 18th green came out a little strong.

Seconds later, he never felt better.

His chip struck the pin squarely, and instead of running about 8 feet past the hole, it settled a few inches away. Palmer tapped in for a birdie and a 4-under 66, giving him a one-shot victory in the Sony Open when Robert Allenby missed a 10-foot birdie putt.

"What a way to start the year," Palmer said.

All week long at the Sony Open, he tried to stay in the moment, a lesson he picked up earlier in the week while reading an article about defending champion Zach Johnson. The chip turned out to be the greatest moment of all.

"It was a good chip," Palmer said. "The grain was running against me. It was either going to hit it fat or do what I did. Fortunately, I got the good break."

Palmer's three PGA Tour victories include one at Disney with Tiger Woods in the field. This was far more

By Mark Garrod, Press Association Sport Golf CorrespondentClick here for latest golf bettingClick here for latest golf newsClick here for latest golf scoresClick here for 2010 European Tour calendarClick here for 2010 US Tour calendar

The nine-year-old kid wearing clothes meant for six-year-olds might have looked too small to become a European Tour golfer one day, but England's Sam Hutsby has made it and now looks a star in the making.

At 21 Hutsby is, of course, older than Rory McIlroy, who has already climbed into the world's top 10.

He is also five years older than Matteo Manassero, the Italian wonder boy who

There is no Comeback of the Year award on the European Tour, but if there was one Spain's Pablo Martin might just have earned it.

The 23-year-old Spaniard's 2009 began with seven successive missed cuts, and that made it 20 out of 22 in a nightmare slump for the player who two years ago became the first amateur ever to win on the circuit.

But Martin battled on, picked up his first cheque in April, did just enough to retain his card and in the first event of the new season pulled off a brilliant victory at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa.

He went into the event 488th in the world and in the third round had to go head-to-head with local favourite and former Open champion Ernie Els.

But Martin won that duel and on the final day held off another South African, Charl Schwartzel, to win by one and so earn an exemption that will last until the end of the 2012 season.

Although he led throughout the last 36 holes it is never over at Leopard Creek until the 541-yard 18th is mastered.

In the groups just ahead of Martin there had been sevens from a number of players including Els - he took eight there two years ago when two in front - an eight from France's Michael Lorenzo-Vera and an incredible 11 from Welshman Sion Bebb, who as a result crashed from fifth to 17th alongside Els.

Martin, one in front, hit a huge drive down the last, leaving him 175 yards over the water to the green.

"It was like a seven or six-iron to the centre of the green," he said. "It wasn't a difficult shot, but my caddie kept saying 'No, no, no - lay up'.

"I said I can bat it from here to where I must lay up, but he kept insisting I lay up, so I told him 'I think you spent too much time caddying on the LPGA Tour'."

He eventually took the advice, though, and after a pitch that stopped just short of the lake at the back he made the five which secured him the title.

"It's unreal - an unbelievable feeling. It's probably the most nervous I've been," he added.

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SHENZHEN, China -- Francesco and Edoardo Molinari became the first brother combination to win the World Cup of Golf, giving Italy its first title in the team event with a one-stroke victory over Sweden and Ireland on Sunday.

 The Molinaris closed with a 4-under 68 in the alternate-shot final round on Mission Hills' Olazabal Course. They finished at 29 under and earned $875,000 each in the tournament that featured two rounds of better ball and two of alternate shot.

Francesco hit a long greenside bunker shot to 3 feet on the 18th to set up Edoardo's winning par putt.

"It was a very sweet feeling after holing the putt," said Edoardo, No. 1 on the European Challenge Tour.

"When I saw the ball in the bunker, it was lying OK, and I just said, 'Francesco, just knock it on the green anywhere, and I'm going to hole the putt,'" said Edoardo, who won last week's Dunlop Phoenix in Japan.

Italy made its move with three straight birdies between 11 and 13.

"We deserved it as we attacked from the first day with every putt and every shot and we tried to make as many birdies as possible," Francesco said.

Sweden's Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson, the winners last year, shot a 69 to tie for second with Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell (70). McIlroy and McDowell led after each of the first three rounds.

England's Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher (64) finished fourth, three strokes

For the first time ever Europe has six players in the world's top 10.

They include Rory McIlroy, who at 20 years six months is the second youngest ever to be part of the elite group.

The Northern Irishman's third-place finish at the Dubai World Championship - not enough to make him