American Paul Goydos ended a PGA Tour title drought of more than a decade with three birdies in the last four holes and a one-shot victory at the Sony Open on Sunday.

Paul Goydos of the U.S. holds up the trophy after winning the Sony Open golf tournament in Honolulu, Hawaii, January 14, 2007.[Reuters]

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.

Goydos, whose only other Tour victory came at the 1996 Bay Hill Invitational, recovered 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 20-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 stunned," Goydos told reporters after earning a cheque for $936,000, more than he has won in any full year since turning professional in 1989.

"I got off to a slow start and I was just trying to hang in there. Things weren't going well early but I made some putts when I needed to and just kind of stuck it out.

EVERY DECADE

"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. Fortunately for me, it stopped close enough where I could make it."

Howell, one shot clear at the start of the day and two ahead midway through the final round after eagling the par-five ninth, played his third shot at the last from a similar position to Goydos.

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.

The 27-year-old from Augusta, bidding for his second PGA Tour title, had to settle for second place at 13 under after carding a 70, level with playing partner Luke Donald who shot a 69.

"It gets back to the same thing, I have to drive the ball in the fairway a little bit more often," Howell said after finding just five fairways out of 14 in the final round.

"At the end of the day, I just didn't play good enough on the back nine and I finished second again."

Donald, a double winner on the PGA Tour who is known for his accurate play, was disappointed with his closing round.

LOOSE SHOTS

"I was in a good position to win but I hit some loose iron shots down the stretch and missed some fairways, although I felt I drove the ball well this week," the 29-year-old Englishman said.

"Paul showed some nerve coming. He was virtually out of the tournament heading into the back nine and fought his way back."

World number two Jim Furyk closed with a 69 to share fourth place at nine under with fellow American Steve Stricker (70), South Korea's K.J. Choi (68) and PGA Tour rookie Doug LaBelle II (65).

Hawaiian teenager Tadd Fujikawa, who became the second-youngest player to make a PGA Tour cut on Friday, signed off with a birdie at the last for a 72 and a tie for 20th at five under.

U.S. 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, he reeled off eight birdies to finish in a two-way tie for eighth.