Funk Wins Mayakoba Golf Classic Playoff

Playa del Carmen, Mexico - Fred Funk beat Jose Coceres in two playoff holes Sunday to complete a wire-to-wire win at the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

Battling residual back problems from Saturday's round, Funk had three bogeys and just two birdies on Sunday and shot a one-over 71, his worst score of the week by two strokes.

Funk held the lead after all four rounds. A late bogey Sunday allowed Coceres to tie, but Funk managed to save par from a bunker at the first playoff hole before winning with a seven-foot birdie putt on the second.

He claimed $630,000 and made a little history, too.

At 50 years, eight months and 12 days old, Funk became the fifth-oldest champion in PGA Tour history. It was his eighth career win and first since the 2005 Players Championship.

"Just to be able to compete with the young guys on the regular shows that the old guy has still got something," Funk said. "It's a very satisfying win for me."

Funk, a winner on the Champions Tour last month, also became the only the second player to win on both tours in the same season. Craig Stadler was the first when he won back-to-back weeks at the 2003 Ford Senior Players Championship and the PGA Tour's B.C. Open.

Stadler was also previously the fifth-oldest champion in PGA Tour history. Funk moved ahead of him by beating a field that included Stadler's son, Kevin.

"I think I validated how good the players on the Champions Tour are," said Funk. "Even though you are 50 or 51 through 55, age doesn't really mean anything. I just want to see how long I can last."

While this was the PGA Tour's first-ever tournament in Mexico, it wasn't Funk's first victory there. He won the 1993 Mexican Open.

This win came during the same week as the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, where the top 64 golfers in the world are invited to compete for millions.

Funk doesn't think that takes anything away from his victory.

"A win feels great," he said. "They can say all they want, these guys can play all the way down to the bottom of the list."

Coceres, a 20-year pro from Argentina, closed with a one-under 69 while making 17 pars and one birdie. He tied Funk for the first time with his only birdie at No. 9 and then backed into another tie later when Funk went birdie-bogey at the 13th and 14th.

The duo finished regulation at 14-under-par 266.

"[Funk] played better than I did, and he deserves to win," said Coceres, who claimed a pair of PGA Tour wins in 2001.

"I was speaking to my manager and we had a 50/50 chance whether to go play a tournament in Argentina or to come here and play," Coceres continued. "We decided we'd better come here. I wish I had played in Argentina to win for my country and I wish I had played here to also win for my country, but it didn't happen that way."

Peter Lonard carded his second consecutive 67 and ended alone in third place, one shot back at 13-under 267. Ryan Armour (66) was fourth at 268 and Bill Haas (67) finished fifth at 269.