Paul Stankowski figured chopping another four strokes from par would be enough for him to win the Kapalua International.
Fred Couples and Steve Jones had other ideas."That's what I thought I'd need," said Stankowski, who started Sunday at 16 under par. "But at the turn I knew it was going to take more than 20-under to win."
With Couples in the threesome ahead of him and Jones a playing partner, the three-time All-America from Texas-El Paso knew exactly where he stood as he approached the critical closing holes at the 7,263-yard Plantation Course.
"I knew he (Couples) was catching up," Stankowski said.
Stankowski, a winner of one tournament on the PGA Tour, birdied the 72nd hole - a testy 3-footer - to turn back Couples.
His 68 put Stankowski at 21-under 269, one stroke ahead of the onrushing Couples, a two-time winner of the event, and two over U.S. Open winner Jones.
"I'm tired, but this is exciting," the winner said. "It's all kind of a blur."
Early on, the final round appeared to be a Stankowski-Jones duel. But as Jones faltered on the back nine, Couples, who had a final round 67, vaulted into a tie for the lead with an eagle on the 555-yard 15th.
Stankowski, however, birdied the same hole to regain a lead he never relinquished, although Couples did make it interesting when he narrowly missed another eagle on the par-5 18th when his 20-foot putt stopped a foot past the hole.
"It was fun, coming close," Couples said. "The good thing was I drove the ball well. But I didn't make the putts.
"The better guy won, but I felt like I did all right."
Jones, who closed with a 69, and Davis Love III, who capped his day with an eagle on the final hole for a 66, shared third place at 271.
Bob Gilder, the first- and second-round co-leader with Jones, finished fifth at 18-under.
With playing conditions conducive to low scores, only 10 players completed the 72-hole swing over par with one at even par. The first day of the tournament was without wind and the second round had to be stopped for almost two hours because of wind and rain.
The tournament on the island of Maui was sponsored by Lincoln-Mercury.