PETER LONARD capped one of golf's remarkable comebacks with a gripping play-off victory over Peter O'Malley in the Australian Masters at Huntingdale in

Melbourne yesterday.

The 29-year-old Lonard, who suffered for years with illness, beat off fellow New South Wales man Peter O'Malley on the second extra hole to capture his first professional victory after both had finished the 72 holes locked on 16 under par 276.

Lonard's tense win also clinched him the Australasian PGA Tour Order of Merit and with it an invitation to this year's British Open at Troon, offering him his first opportunity of teeing off in a major tournament.

Lonard and O'Malley both finished one stroke in front of Queenslanders Shane Tait and Wayne Grady and seven in front of tournament drawcard Tiger Woods.

Woods again suffered from a putting malady which perplexed him over the four days and he struggled for a par round of 73 for a 72-hole aggregate of nine under 283.

Lonard and O'Malley, who won the 1995 Benson and Hedges International, both parred the first play-off hole, the 18th. At the second, the par four 17th, both players missed the green with O'Malley far to the right. His chip finished about eight feet from the hole while Lonard's was half that distance away.

O'Malley pulled his putt, which slid by, but Lonard made no mistake.

It was at the Palm Meadows Cup in Queensland in 1992 that Lonard's fade into golfing oblivion began. He was bitten by a mosquito carrying the Ross River lever virus, a debilitating disease which sapped his energy.

For five years he battled through health problems, which included failing eyesight. The turning point came when an eye surgeon at his home Sydney club of Oatlands suggested he take some tests.

New contact lenses solved the problem and he was again able to read greens properly, then his swing had to be rebuilt with coach Gary Edwin.

But the illness left him listless, he wanted to sleep constantly and could not walk two golf holes.

Career-wise I thought golf was over," he said. He was virtually penniless, with about 100 dollars (76 US) in the bank and was forced to move in with his parents, who supported him.

"This is probably the greatest day of my life," he said.

Paul Stankowski birdied the fourth hole of sudden death to win the $1.2 million United Hawaiian Open in Honolulu yesterday.

Stankowski, Jim Furyk and Mike Reid all birdied the last hole of regulation to tie at 17 under par to force the play-off.

Reid, the overnight leader, shot a one under-par-71 at Waialae C.C. and then was eliminated on the first extra hole with a bogey.

Stankowski, who shot 70 in regulation, and Furyk, whose 68 equalled the low round of the day, each parred the first extra hole, then birdied the next two.

After a good chip on the par five 18th hole, Stankowski was able to tap-in for his second official PGA Tour win, and his fifth tournament title in the last 10 months.

Stankowski's win was worth $216,000.