KAPALUA, Hawaii — Geoff Ogilvy opened the PGA Tour season with a six-shot victory in the Mercedes-Benz Championship, overcoming a choppy start at Kapalua by closing with a 5-under 68.

It wasn’t as easy as the margin indicates.

The former U.S. Open champion had a six-shot lead going into the final round on a rain-softened Plantation Course, but after making four bogeys on his first seven holes, he stood in the ninth fairway with his lead down to one shot over hard-charging Anthony Kim.

Ogilvy hit his approach into 30 feet and made the eagle putt to restore the cushion, then ran off four straight birdies on the back nine and the rout was on. He finished at 24-under 268 and won $1.12 million for a wire-to-wire victory that moves him to No. 6 in the world.

“It’s an uncomfortable feeling to know you’re six shots out in front and you’re almost back to tied,” Ogilvy said after his wire-to-wire victory. “You can just imagine what people are thinking. It’s not a very nice feeling.”

Kim nearly made double eagle on the last hole for a 67 to tie for second with Davis Love III, who also had a 67.

Ogilvy joined Ernie Els and Vijay Singh as the only wire-to-wire winners at Kapalua since the tournament moved here in 1999, having the outright lead over the final 58 holes.

It was the fifth PGA Tour victory for Ogilvy, adding to his U.S. Open title in 2006 and a pair of World Golf Championships.