But Akau, a junior at the University of Idaho, was well aware that he was in the final threesome with defending champion Brandan Kop, who was seeking his seventh Army Invitational title, and reigning Manoa Cup champion Ryan Perez.

Also, that Akau has a history of big leads and not winning.

Fortunately, Akau put all that aside, thanks to the power of positive thinking and hitting the majority of his fairways and greens in regulation, to shoot an even-par 72 for a 54-hole score of 210 for a six-shot victory.

"This win means a lot to me. It's my biggest individual victory," said Akau, the 2002 Interscholastic League of Honolulu player of the year from Kamehameha Schools.

Saturday's second-round 3-under-par 67 at the shorter Kalakaua Golf Course had put Akau in a commanding position. No one was able to mount any challenge at the longer Leilehua course yesterday.

Akau had two bogeys and two birdies yesterday and never came close to even a threat of a bogey train with his steady play.

"That was big," he said about the 10-foot birdie putt he sank at the par-5 sixth "because I had just bogeyed 5."

After bogeying 13, Akau got his round back to even by dropping a 24-foot birdie putt at the tightly bunkered, 411-yard 16th hole.

"I was waiting all day for one like that," he said.

"I played with him all three rounds. He hits the ball far and he's a good putter, too," Kop said. "If you're a good putter, you're going to score. I knew he was going to shoot around par. I had to shoot a 67 for a chance."

Kop posted a 3-over 75 to finish third at 218.

Jarett Hamamoto, who transferred to the University of Hawai'i from the Air Force Academy, was the only player to break par yesterday despite windless and humid conditions. He closed with a 71 for runner-up honors at 216.

Hamamoto, a two-time state champion (2001 and 2002) from Waiakea High School, said he's looking forward to joining incoming freshmen Perez and Travis Toyama at UH.

Nursing a sore left wrist from an American Junior Golf Association tournament in California three weeks ago, Perez shot "a bunch" — an 81 — yesterday to finish well back at 224.