Ryan Palmer fires 62 to win Funai Classic

The name was familiar. So was the charge.

The highlight of Ryan Palmer's rookie season on the PGA Tour came seven months ago across town at Bay Hill, when he met Arnold Palmer for the first time. That changed Sunday in the Funai Classic at Disney in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., where the 28-year-old rookie made a name for himself with a comeback that would have made the King proud.

Palmer made five birdies on his first six holes to get into contention, then pulled away with four straight birdies down the stretch for a 10-under 62 and a three-shot victory over Vijay Singh and Briny Baird.

"To beat the No. 1 player in the world ... who was pretty much unstoppable the last few weeks was just awesome," Palmer said. "That's awesome knowing I can go out and beat the best player in the world."

He got into the record books along the way.

Palmer's 62 tied the lowest closing round by a winner at Disney. He also became the fifth PGA Tour rookie to win this year, the most since the tour began keeping track in 1970.

"What a feeling," Palmer said. "I knew I could play. It was a matter of proving it to myself."

Not many paid attention to Palmer -- no relation to that other Palmer -- when the Texan started the final round five shots out of the lead.

No one could stop him at the end of a sunny day at Disney World -- not even Singh.

Along with two tap-in birdies set up by flawless wedges, Palmer chipped in from 40 feet on 15 and made a 45-foot birdie on No. 17 that would have gone some 12 feet past the hole if it didn't catch the back of the cup.

He finished at 22-under 266, then had to wait for an hour to see if anyone could catch him.

Baird, who shared the lead with Tom Lehman going into the final round, shot 70 and joined Singh at 269. Lehman shot 72 and tied for sixth.

Champions Tour

Mark McNulty rallied from five strokes down in the final round, making five birdies in the last eight holes to beat Tom Kite by one stroke at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, the Champions Tour's season-ending event at Sonoma Golf Club in Sonoma, Calif.

McNulty shot a 6-under 66 to finish at 11-under 277, matching the day's best round.

Hale Irwin shot a 3 over to finish seventh at 284, but won his second Schwab Cup, awarded to the points leader in a season-long competition of 30 tournaments, and a $1 million annuity.

Kite, who finished third in the Schwab Cup standings behind Irwin and Craig Stadler, could have won it by winning the tournament.

Allen Doyle shot a 3-under 69 to finish in third, three strokes behind McNulty. Peter Jacobsen rallied with a final-round 67 to finish fourth, with David Eger (69) and Jose Maria Canizares (75) one stroke behind in fifth at 283.

European PGA Tour

Richard Sterne shot a 5-under 65 and rallied to win the $1.2 million Madrid Open by two shots, earning the 23-year-old South African his first European tour victory and playing rights on the continent for another year.

Sterne started the day a stroke behind co-leaders Darren Fichardt and Paul Broadhurst. Sterne had an eagle-3 on the 518-yard No. 4 for the second time in three days, and had a bogey-free round to finish at 18-under 266.

Anders Hansen of Denmark shot a final-round 66 and finished in second place at 16 under, one stroke ahead of Australia's Terry Price, who closed with a 67.

Nationwide Tour

D.J. Trahan shot a bogey-free 6-under 65 to capture his first Nationwide Tour victory at the Miccosukee Championship.

Trahan needed just 24 putts to finish at 16-under 268, topping third-round leader Nick Watney by two strokes. Watney shot a final-round 71.

-- From wire reports