VERONA, New York: Long-hitting rookie Dustin Johnson won the Turning Stone Resort Championship for his first US PGA Tour title, holing an 8-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory over Robert Allenby on Sunday.

With a 3-under 69, Johnson finished at 9-under 279 to take the $1.08 million first-place prize in the $6 million event, the richest of the tour’s Fall Series. It catapulted him from 128th to 41st on the money list — the top 125 at the end of the year retain full exemption for 2009.

Tag Ridings (79), tied with Howell for the lead at 8 underentering the day, self-destructed with three bogeys, a triple bogey, and one double bogey in an eight-hole span.

The back nine at the 7,482-yard Atunyote Golf Club course has a 13-acre lake and three other water hazards that make four of the holes difficult, and Johnson found that out. After making birdie at the par-5 12th hole to move to 8 under and within a shot of Allenby, Johnson drove into the water along the right fairway at No 13 and made bogey.

Allenby, meanwhile, stayed out of trouble all day until his drive at the par-4 15th hole sailed into the right trees. He hit his second shot into a greenside bunker, blasted a terrific shot out to 9 feet but missed the par putt and never managed to get that stroke back.

Overton, who led the first two rounds, tied Allenby at 8 under with a 16-foot birdie putt that just dropped in the hole at 14, but his rally ended quickly. He missed 5-foot par putts at both 16 and 17 to end his chances.

Johnson, who began the day two shots off the lead, had three birdies and two bogeys through the first 13 holes to stay close. He drove it 328 yards off the tee at No 17 and made a 6-foot birdieputt to tie Allenby at 8 under, then boomed a 357-yard drive at 18.

Johnson appeared to be in trouble when he hit his second shot 256 yards and it bounced 37 feet past the green and into the rough. But he recovered with a clutch chip and made the nerve-racking putt.

Love, whose 66 on Saturday was the best round of the tournament and vaulted him into contention, bogeyed No 2 and birdied the ninth hole to remain 5 under at the turn. It could have been better for Love, who’s trying to come back from surgery to his left ankle to repair torn ligaments suffered after stepping in a hole about a year ago. He missed birdies at Nos 4 and 13, watching in amazement as his putts stopped at the lip and failed to drop, but finished his round with consecutive birdies for a nice pay day.