LA QUINTA, Calif. — A few years ago, when he was young and extremely volatile, Pat Perez concedes he probably would not have recovered from hooking his tee shot into the water on the 233-yard, par-3 fifth hole today en route to a deflating double-bogey.

Because he had just made three consecutive birdies to tie tournament leader Steve Stricker, Perez said he likely would have unraveled after making that 5 on No. 5 during the final round of the 50th Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

"Before, if I did that, the tournament was over," Perez said.

But not the new, less fiery Pat Perez, now 32 and recently married.

"I look at that as just a speed bump now," he said. "I had plenty of holes left I could make a lot of birdies coming in."

And that's exactly what Perez did Sunday in the suddenly gusting winds at the Palmer Private Course at PGA West. He bounced back from that splash to pass Stricker and then hold off John Merrick on the back nine to capture his first PGA Tour victory.

Needing only a par on the 90th and final hole of the famed desert pro-am, Perez launched a towering 6-iron from 197 yards onto the water-guarded 18th green and rolled in a 3-foot eagle putt to beat Merrick by three shots.

Perez shot 69 to finish at 33 under and earn a $918,000 first-place check. Merrick shot 67 for his career-best check of $550,800, with Stricker (77) and Mike Weir (67) tying for fourth at 28 under.

"I don't think I could have hit that (approach) shot again, to be honest with you," a jubilant but emotionally drained Perez said afterward in the media interview room. "Even if I had to do it, I couldn't hit it again, because the wind was swirling. It's a long time coming, and I'm going to enjoy it."

The victory came in Perez's 198th career PGA Tour event, a career previously highlighted by a second-place finish at the 2002 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in which the world learned about his temper and club-slamming histrionics.

That year, he also came to the 18th hole with a one-shot lead, hit his ball into the ocean and made a triple-bogey. Finally, he has been freed from those haunting memories.

"That time at Pebble ... I wasn't really ready to be thrown in that situation, where I had to hit great shots and contend with the best in the world," he said. "Today I knew that I was ready. Even if I didn't win, I knew I was still ready. I prepared all winter to get ready for this."

This time, the new Perez didn't hit it in the water; he hit it tight. And he enjoyed every step of his walk to the green, waving his cap to the screaming gallery.

His thoughts during that walk?

"What I thought really was, it's about time," he said. "It's about time. I put the work in. It's been just over seven years. It's about time."

And when his short putt hit the bottom of the cup, it triggered a raucous greenside celebration among Perez's family, friends (including baseball slugger Pat Burrell) and members of the nearby Madison Club, where he worked on his game much of the winter.

On the way to sign his scorecard, he was congratulated by tournament host Arnold Palmer, who fittingly had won the first Bob Hope in 1960.

"I feel honored that he was there to shake my hand when I got done," Perez said.