Allenby wins Australian Open

Injured Robert Allenby held on for a one-stroke victory in the Australian Open at Moonah Links near Melbourne.

The Aussie, 34, battled a damaged nerve in his right hand but came through to take the title for the second time.

Strong winds and fast greens made life tough for Allenby, who led by five strokes entering the final round.

But the real challenge was his hand injury, which required intensive  therapy overnight and before the final round.

It affected him badly in a closing 77 but his four under par total was just enough to win from Paul Sheehan, John Senden and Nick O'Hern.

He said: “I needed every shot, that is for sure. I thought I was going to even need one more in the end. Friday was tough, Saturday was tougher, and this final day was even tougher.

“Obviously with my hand, that sort of let me down. Over the first five or six holes, I was scared that it wasn't going to hold up for the day and I was just too scared to commit to shots.

“When I was four over after about six holes I said, I’ve got to do something. I’ve got to forget about the hand and I’ve just got to go play golf.

“The golf course was so tough, the ball was moving on the green, every single shot is a tough shot, not just hitting it off the tee, not just chipping, not just iron shots.”