Golf-Allenby's dying mother tells him to go win PGA tournament

MELBOURNE, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Australian golfer Robert Allenby almost pulled out of the Australian PGA tournament in Queensland this week, only for his terminally ill mother to tell him to go out and win it.

"I said to mum (Sylvia) on Tuesday morning when we were having breakfast before I flew up here that I was happy to stay at home," Allenby told reporters in Coolum ahead of the A$1.5 million tournament.

"I told mum 'I'm happy to stay home with you if you want. I don't have to go play'.

"You're more important than golf, tell me what you would like me to do.

"She said 'I'd like you to go up there and win the tournament ... but if you don't win, don't worry about it, it's not the end of the world and I will still love you after it'.

Allenby's chances of winning the Australian Masters at Huntingdale on Sunday evaporated when, within a stroke of the lead, he went bunker to bunker at the 15th hole with his mother watching from a golf cart.

The 37-year-old then had an emotional breakdown but pulled himself together to make a 20-foot putt for double bogey and eventually finish third behind compatriot Rod Pampling.

"I couldn't even see the hole. I couldn't see the line or anything," he said on Wednesday.

"I said to my caddy Colin, 'I need the towel, I can't see'. My glasses had tears all over the lens as well and I said to my caddy 'don't worry it will be right, I'll just guess where it is'.  Continued...