HONOLULU - Quietly and steadily, Jeff Sluman moved up on the leaders today at the inaugural $2.6 million Sony Open in Hawaii.

It wasn't until the 71st hole -- a 189-yard par 3 -- that Sluman took charge with a birdie. And for good measure, he birdied the final hole to complete a 4-under-par 66 and capture the PGA Tour's first full-field tournament of year by two strokes with a 9-under 271 total for 72 holes.

"I made the turn in good shape,'' said Sluman, who collected $468,000. "I felt if I made a mistake-free back 9 and picked up a couple of birdies, I had a chance.

"I had a good idea of what was going to happen going up the 18th fairway. I had it, but you don't know until it's over.''

The win gives the 41-year-old victories in each of the last three years -- an accomplishment he's proud of -- after having gone almost nine years without winning following his initial victory at the 1988 PGA Championship.

"Winning certainly is important out here for you as an individual and among your peers,'' he said. "Nobody out here is a loser, but, in this game, there is only one champion each week.''

Sluman started the final day in a six-way tie for fifth, three strokes behind third-round leader Tommy Tolles.

As it turned out, it wasn't a good day for the leaders.

Tolles started the final round with a one-stroke lead, but a double bogey and bogey on the front 9 of the 7,060-yard Waialae Country Club course put him out of contention early.

Davis Love III, who started in second place, briefly grabbed the lead with a birdie on the second hole, but bogeys on the fifth and 13th put him out of the race.

As a result, both Tolles (71) and Love (70) finished in a five-way tie for second at 7-under 273 with Christ Perry (66), Len Mattiace (68) and Jeff Maggert (68).

Maggert briefly held the lead on the back 9, going to 8-under after a birdie at the 13th. But he settled into a tie with Sluman two holes later when he bogeyed.

"I hadn't played in 2 1/2 months,'' said Maggert, who now has 13 second-place finishes i in his PGA Tour career but just one victory. "I didn't know what to expect, so I've got nothing to complain about. This is a good start to the season and if I can improve on this week, I'll be OK."

Sluman, meanwhile, bided his time. He didn't move into a tie for the lead until the ninth hole and didn't take sole possession of the lead until the 17th when he birdied and Maggert bogeyed for a two-stroke swing.

Sluman then birdied the closing 551-yard 18th for the two-stroke win.

Sharing seventh place were Jimmy Green, Loren Roberts, Paul Goydos, Chris Couch and Chris Riley.

Green had the day's most interesting round.

He started at 2-under, but a double bogey and bogey at the second and third holes put him at 1-over. From the sixth hole on, however, he made only one bogey to go along with six birdies and an eagle at the closing hole to finish at 4-under 66.

Fred Funk had the day's best round (65) and was grouped at 275 with John Huston -- who set a Tour record with by finishing at 28-under for 72 holes here at the Hawaiian Open a year ago -- Mark O'Meara and Larry Mize.