Allenby blames missed putts after falling short in New York

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Australia's Robert Allenby was left to lament a mediocre display with his putter over the closing holes of the Turning Stone Resort Championship on Sunday as his poor judgment on rain-softened greens cost him the title.

The 37-year-old Allenby birdied three of his first five holes in the final round but failed to get another and was overtaken by playing partner Dustin Johnson, an American rookie, who birdied the last two holes for his maiden victory.

"I'm disappointed," Allenby said in a television interview after a two-under-par 70 left him one shot behind Johnson's winning total of nine-under-par 279. "I came here to win."

Allenby was gunning for his first U.S. PGA victory in seven years, despite a solid season that had placed him 13th on the U.S. money list coming into the tournament.

"I haven't won for a while on the tour. I've played so well this year. I only had my eyes set on first, not second."

The Melbourne native blamed his putting, epitomized by the 12-foot birdie putt he left just shy of the cup at the 18th.

"I guess I could look at the putter today and say I left everything short," Allenby said.

"Yesterday (Saturday) I probably had the worst putting round in my life. You know, it's hard. The greens are really bumpy and soft. I know it's the same for everyone, but I just lost my nerve yesterday with the putter.

"I tried to regain it. I took the putter home last night and slept with it, handcuffed it to the bed and handcuffed me to the other side of it.

"Golf's one of those games. All you can do is just give it your best. It's just one of those things."

Allenby saluted the 24-year-old Johnson for finishing well but knew the elusive victory was well within his grasp.

"Dustin played well the last four or five holes, all credit," he said. "He played the shots that needed to be played and made some good putts and I just didn't make the putts.

"At the end of the day, if you don't make the putts you ain't gonna win the tournament."

Allenby said he was not sure how many of the five remaining tournaments in the tour's Fall Series he would play.

"I'm going to take a few weeks off now," he said. "I might need a few weeks to recover from this one."

(Writing by Larry Fine, Editing by John O'Brien)