Goydos ends title drought with Waialae victoiry

HONOLULU, Jan 15 (Reuters) American Paul Goydos ended a 10-year title drought on the PGA Tour with three birdies in the last four holes and a one-shot victory at the Sony Open.

The 42-year-old, who almost chipped in for eagle at the last, overhauled overnight leader Charles Howell III and Britain's Luke Donald with a three-under-par 67 at a breezy Waialae Country Club yesterday.

Goydos, whose only other Tour victory came at the 1996 Bay Hill Invitational, came back from two bogeys in the first three holes before finishing on 14-under 266.

He holed out from 25 feet at the 15th, rolled in a 16-footer on 16 to grab the outright lead for the first time and rallied from a bogey-four on 17 to clinch the PGA Tour's second event of the season.

After hitting his second shot just short of the green at the 551-yard 18th, he struck the flagstick with his eagle attempt before tapping in from within two feet for his sixth birdie of the day.

''I'm really happy with the way I played,'' Goydos told reporters. ''I made some putts when I needed to and just kind of stuck it out.

''I do try to win every decade so I've accomplished that,'' he added with a smile. ''I just got lucky and that chip shot on 18 could have gone to where Charles was.'' Howell, one shot clear at the start of the day and two ahead midway through the final round, played his third shot at the last from a similar position to Goydos.

ROLLED PAST His chip, however, rolled 16 feet past the pin and he was unable to make the putt back for a birdie-four to take the tournament into a playoff.

Howell had to settle for second place at 13 under after carding a 70, level with playing partner Luke Donald who shot a 69.

US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy of Australia, 11 strokes off the pace at the start of the day, vaulted up the leaderboard with a best-of-the-day 64.

Despite double-bogeying the par-three fourth, where he missed the green to the right of the tee, he reeled off eight birdies to finish in a two-way tie for eighth at eight-under 272.

''I played really well today, although I got away with a couple on the front nine,'' the 29-year-old Australian told Reuters.

''After making a double on four, I chipped in a couple of times to keep something nice going.

''But I did not miss a beat on the back nine,'' added Ogilvy, who missed the cut in his four previous appearances at Waialae. ''That's the best nine holes I've played in Hawaii.'' REUTERS PDS BD1049