KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii » Bernhard Langer found a way to finish Sunday, birdieing five of the last six holes to pull away from Fred Couples and Jeff Sluman and win the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.

The winners-only event opened the 35th season of the Champions Tour. Langer collected $307,000 for his 19th senior victory. It was his first since April despite ending 2013 with 10 top-10s.

"It’s a new year and my goal was to get over the hurdle and win as soon as possible," said Langer, who won here five years ago. "I’m very pleased and extremely blessed to play golf like this. To be 22 under doesn’t happen very often."

The 56-year-old German shot his second straight 64 in the final round. His 54-hole total of 22-under 194 was three better than Couples and Sluman. Langer is now 41 under in his last seven rounds on the Jack Nicklaus-designed course.

He and Couples shared the lead at 14 under going into the final day of ideal conditions at Hualalai. Sluman was two back, but surged ahead at the turn, his fifth birdie putt taking him to 17 under. All but one came from inside 6 feet.

"My iron shots were pretty bueno on those," said Sluman, who was making his 80th consecutive senior start. He has been among the tour’s top 20 money winners the last five years.

Langer and Couples caught him at 18 under with birdies on the 13th hole.

Langer just kept rolling, two-putting for birdie on the next hole to grab the lead alone, then draining three more birdie putts from inside 12 feet.

"It’s great to have a ‘W’ again after the last four or five months where I’ve had a lot of chances and didn’t do it," Langer said. "Other people played great golf. Today I played very well."

Better than very well. He was flawless the final six holes, even laughing that he could have birdied the final hole if he hadn’t avoided the bunker because of his lead.

His winning score is the best on tour since last summer, when Rocco Mediate shot the same in the second win of his rookie season. John Cook was the last to go that low at Hualalai, shooting 22 under when he won in 2011.

Langer had one bogey in three days — none in his last 45 holes — and missed just six greens in regulation.

Sluman closed with a 65. Couples, looking for his 10th Champions win and second in a row, fired 67. After playing Hualalai’s par-5s in 6 under on opening day, he was just 4 under combined the final 36 holes.

"I played eight par-5s 4 under par for the last two days and I was lucky to get those. I made a bomb for par yesterday," said Couples, who hit into the lava rocks all three days on a par-5, but made eagle-par-par on those holes. "He (Langer) was awesome."

So awesome that the guy who has led the Champions Tour in scoring three of the past four years (Couples), congratulated the about-to-be champion Langer — who has won five money titles — before they got to the final green.

Langer is staying in Hawaii to celebrate his 30th anniversary with wife Vikki today. First-round leader Rocco Mediate is getting married today to Jessica Somers. Mediate shared fifth with David Frost, who lost a playoff with Cook here last year.

Two-time senior player of the year Jay Haas made a late charge after parring all but two of the first 12 holes. He birdied the 13th, then chipped in for eagle and birdie to get within two on the 16th hole.

He could make up no more ground on the streaking Langer. Haas, one of eight 60-year-olds in the field of 41, birdied the final hole to finish fourth at 65—199.

Langer came up a shot short of making playoffs at both Hawaii senior events last year. The seniors play here again Sept. 18-21 in the Pacific Links Hawaii Championship at Kapolei.

The next tour event in Hawaii is the LPGA Lotte Championship, April 16-19 at Ko Olina. It follows the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA’s first major.

CHAMPIONS TOUR

Mitsubishi Electric
At Hualalai Golf Course
Kaupulehu-Kona

Purse: $1.8 million
Yardage: 7,107; Par 72

Final