Allenby to play Australian PGA Championship

Australia's number two golfer Robert Allenby will play next week's Australian PGA Championship in place of former world number one Vijay Singh, after the Fijian withdrew with a knee injury, organisers said on Thursday.

Allenby will join American double major winner John Daly and a strong local field at the Dec. 10-13 event at Coolum on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

"Following the withdrawal of Vijay I spoke with my wife Sandy and we both felt it would be a good idea to add one more event to a busy end of year schedule," Allenby, a three-time winner of the A$1.5 million ($1.39 million) event, said in a statement.

World number 30 Allenby, who has enjoyed a solid, if winless, season on the U.S. Tour, has endured a fraught relationship with spectators at local tournaments in recent years.

The 38-year-old elected not to play this week's Australian Open in Sydney, where spectator heckling last year prompted him to threaten to never play the local tour again.