KONA, Hawaii » You might think a 60-year-old golfer would like to swing the sticks with those his own age, but in the case of Tom Watson, you'd be wrong.

After securing a dramatic victory over part-time Champions Tour player Fred Couples at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai on Sunday, Watson's next stop is the Omega Dubai Classic in nine days to face men half his age.

“;I'm going to play with the youngsters,”; Watson said of the PGA European Tour event that attracts golfers from all over the world. “;I've always wanted to go and see what they've done with the place. I'm very excited to play there.”;

The eight-time major champion who electrified the world at the British Open in Turnberry last summer with his near-win, will be riding the kind of high not many his own age ever experience.

His dramatic victory at the Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course at Hualalai was reminiscent of the famous Duel in the Sun at Turnberry that he and Nicklaus produced at the 1977 British Open. Every time Couples tried to put a dagger in Watson on the back nine Sunday at Hualalai, Watson pulled out one of his own.

It was Watson's first win in Hawaii in 34 tries. His love of the place was born with his father, who died on Oahu a decade ago as Watson was on the practice putting green preparing to play in this Big Island event. Several times during the post-tournament interview, Watson tried to describe what his first trip to Hawaii was like with his father, how fellow senior tour player Jim Colbert got them an open-air hotel that had no windows; how the midwestern family fell hard for the 50th state.

“;My dad loved it here,”; Watson said, emotion in his voice. “;I played a lot of years over there at Waialae and never won. Basically, I had a chance to win my first tournament over here at Waialae in 1973. And I shot 76 in the last round.”;

He recalled a flier-lie he had at No. 4 at Waialae the year he lost to John Schlee, very similar to the one he had at 18 on Sunday. He hit it over the green, leading to a double bogey, and the 23-year-old never recovered. It would be the 1974 Western Open where he would secure his first victory on the PGA Tour, but that close loss on Oahu still rings true.

“;Winning here is special,”; Watson said. “;I've always loved Hawaii. It's something I've always wanted to do—win here in Hawaii. I played so many years in Hawaii, it's about time. I was due.”;

Now, it's off to the desert, where he will be the oldest guy on the course, but he's used to that, even on the Champions Tour. He described his match with Couples this way: “;It was the young kid against the old fart.”;

Watson began the day with a two-shot lead, but that was erased as they made the turn for home. As it was, a pair of huge par saves by Watson at eight and nine kept his round from self-destructing as Couples drew even with birdies at 7 and 8. Couples eagled No. 10, but Watson birdied to fall only one shot off the pace.

He birdied 11 to draw even after Couples ran in an 8-footer for par. Both birdied 12, both parred the 13th, both birdied the 14th and parred the 15th, with Couples taking the lead with a birdie at the 16th after Watson's try just grazed the hole.

The par-3 17th bit Watson in 2005 as he lost in a playoff to Dana Quigley by using a 7-iron, instead of an 8, leaving him in the lava rocks behind the green. This time, Couples played it safe and hit to the fat part of the green, but Watson went for it, staring down his 6-iron as it nestled in close for a birdie try from 8 feet.

A faulty putting stroke on Saturday that led to a trio of three-putt bogeys was steady and true on Sunday. He rolled it in for birdie to draw even as they headed to the 18th.

“;That's what I'm out here to do,”; Watson said. “;Hit shots when it really counts.”;

His drive at the 18th found the rough, something that might have bothered a younger man as it did Robert Allenby at the 18th at the Sony Open in Hawaii as he hit a 5-iron out of the bermuda and air-mailed the green, but as Couples aptly pointed out, Watson knew what to do with his.

“;At 18, he hit a nice drive that went through the rough,”; Couples said. “;From where he was, I knew he was going to hit a pretty good shot because he could have flown it and let it run up to the flag. And what a shot he hit.”;

Watson left himself a 5-footer for birdie as Couples hit his to within 14 feet. Most of the time, the club members will tell you, Hualalai's greens are flat; rarely do you have to aim outside the hole. That kept ringing in Couples' ears as he eyed his birdie try. He didn't give up the cup, but should have, as his putt broke toward the ocean just before the hole.

“;Maybe local knowledge helped me,”; said Watson, who bought a home at Hualalai last year. “;My putting stroke was a lot better today, don't ask me why.”;