Goydos wins Sony Open; 16-year-old ties for 20th

Paul Goydos staged an unlikely rally 11 weeks ago just to keep his PGA Tour card. Sunday was even sweeter, with three birdies in the final four holes at the Sony Open in Honolulu for his first victory in 11 years.

Goydos closed with a three-under-par 67 and made birdie on the last hole when his 25-foot chip banged into the pin and settled within tap-in range. Charles Howell III and Luke Donald tied for second, a stroke back.

“I never felt like I was going to win,” said Goydos, the Long Beach native who earned $936,000, more than he made all last year.

Tadd Fujikawa, the 16-year-old who became the youngest player in 50 years to make a cut on the PGA Tour, finished his dream week with a birdie on the final hole for a 72, putting him in a tie for 20th.

“I never imagined myself doing this, especially at this age,” said Fujikawa, who returns to the 10th grade on Tuesday.

The tournament belonged to Howell for most of a sunny afternoon at Waialae until a sudden shift on the back nine, when Howell made consecutive bogeys and Goydos made consecutive birdies.

Howell had a chance to force a playoff when his eight-iron from the rough came up 50 feet short of the green. His chip ran 15 feet past the pin, and the birdie putt never had a chance. He shot 70 for his seventh runner-up since his only victory in 2002.

Donald had an eagle chip on the par-five 18th that would have forced a playoff, but it hit the pin and spun away, leaving him with a 69.

Goydos might not have been in Oahu this week except for the final full tournament of 2006. He was headed for qualifying school when he put together his best four rounds of the year and tied for second in the Chrysler Championship, earning enough money to finish 97th on the money list and keep his card.

Goydos’ previous victory came at the 1996 Bay Hill Invitational.

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Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson earned seven skins and $260,000 on the back nine to win the Champions Skins Game over Gary Player and Jay Haas in Wailea, Hawaii.

Team Nicklaus-Watson finished with nine skins worth $320,000, boosting Nicklaus to a career-record 96 skins. Last year’s runners-up sealed the win when team Player-Haas bogeyed the first playoff hole and was eliminated.

Player and Haas, the Champions Tour player of the year, finished with six skins worth $290,000 in the four-team, alternate-shot event.

Arnold Palmer made a 10-foot birdie on the second playoff hole on No. 16 to earn a skin worth $100,000 to avoid being shut out for the third straight year. He was teamed with Loren Roberts.