Amid all the drama of Willie Wood’s winning charge culminating with the putt on 18 and Bill Glasson’s descent from what looked like sure victory, Tom Lehman was content to get his "half" at Kapolei Golf Club on Sunday.

Of course Lehman would have loved to win the inaugural Pacific Links Hawaii Championship instead of finishing tied for fourth. And many in the galleries would have approved if the island fan favorite originally from Minnesota captured the koa.

But as the Champions Tour season heads down the stretch, Lehman is in a position where he can think strategically and not worry too much about not winning. There’s a bigger prize at stake.

With four events remaining, the Schwab Cup and its $1 million purse is his to lose. He’s comfortably atop the points list, and no other golfer in the current top 10 earned any this weekend.

"I liken it to having a lead in the Ryder Cup," said Lehman, who has played in that prestigious event three times and captained the 2006 U.S. team. "When you have a lead you don’t have to win the hole. Keep halving holes and that’s good. A week like this is good. I got a bunch of points and I kept my place."

No professional sport provides a better twilight than golf, and at a healthy 53, Lehman is still in the sweet spot. He can still take advantage of the opportunities that straddling the PGA and Champions tours affords a fortunate and talented few.

Lehman — who has five PGA wins (including the British Open) and six on the Champions circuit — does know that window doesn’t remain open forever. And he’s realistic about his PGA Tour future and philosophical about his role with the Champions.

"I will no longer play on the PGA Tour full-time, but I’d still like to make five or six starts a year," said Lehman, who counts the Sony Open in Hawaii among those. "Also, I can’t ignore a big sense of responsibility to support this tour. While there are great opportunities for me to win, there are also a lot of guys who just missed making the big money out there, maybe a period of time between the ages of 45 and 50 when they spent more money than they made."

Especially since he still has two children at home, Lehman prefers the Champions schedule that gives him two more free days per week than PGA Tour events.

LEHMAN FINISHED at 11 under for the tournament. A flock of birdies Sunday — five in six holes on the back nine — put him briefly in contention to win as Glasson struggled.

But Lehman parred the final two holes, which Wood birdied.

"I was surprised I got so close because I thought someone would get to 17 under," Lehman said. "Just one bogey for three rounds. Not great golf, but steady golf."

He might not be playing competitive golf at all now if he hadn’t injured a knee playing high school football 35 years ago.

"First game of my senior year, quarterback. I was probably good enough that I might have ended up playing at a small college," he said. "And that would’ve meant no college golf.

"Things happen for a reason."

So instead of limping around with his athletic career over decades ago, Tom Lehman remains a huge star on one tour and can continue to compete on another.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783.