KAPOLEI, Hawaii (AP) — Paul Goydos won the Hawaii Championship on Sunday for his first Champions Tour title, breaking out of a tight pack with four straight birdies.
Making his fifth start of the 50-and-over tour since turning 50 in June, Goydos closed with a 4-under 68 at Kapolei Golf Club for a tournament-record 19-under 197 total. He opened with rounds of 66 and 63 for a share of the second-round lead with Fred Funk.
“I think I used what I’ve learned today,” Goydos said. “I’m making progress, which I’m pleased with. I didn’t play well on the PGA Tour this year. Happy held it together. Handled adversity well.”
Funk finished with a 69 to tie for second with Scott Dunlap. The 58-year-old Funk had a hole-in-one on No. 16, using a 4-hybrid on the 200-yard hole.
“It was good and bad,” Funk said. “Disappointing. Had a lot of chances. … I’m doing everything I can to stay competitive.”
Dunlap shot a 65.
“Today was the toughest day wind-wise,” said Dunlap, the Boeing Classic winner last month and also second two weeks ago in the Quebec Championship. “I’m playing the best golf that I’ve played in a long, long time.”
After birdieing Nos. 14-17 to take a two-stroke lead, Goydos scrambled for bogey on the par-4 18th after flying his approach well above the green and through trees to the left of the grandstand.
“You’re a little nervy up there,” Goydos said.
He started the birdie run with a 6-footer on the par-5 14th, hit a 140-yard shot to an inch on the par-4 15th, holed a 15-footer on the 16th and made a 6-footer on the par-5 17th.
The putt on 16 gave broke a tie with Funk and Dunlap.
“I couldn’t hit a better putt than the I did on 16,” Goydos said. “That putt on 16 was key. I’m proud of that. … I’m happy how I handled things at 16 after Fred made ace.”
The birdie putt on 17 gave him the cushion he ended up needing on 18.
“That was massive,” Goydos said.
Goydos won twice on the PGA Tour, the last in the 2007 Sony Open in Hawaii.
“I love it over,” Goydos said. “It’s a great place to play golf.”
He broke the tournament record of 14-under 202 set by Willie Wood in 2012 in the inaugural event.
Davis Love III struggled in his Champions Tour debut, closing with a 72 to tie for 64th in the 81-man field at 3 under. The 20-time PGA Tour winner turned 50 in April.
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