Yul Kwon Wins 'Survivor' Cook Islands

His former competitors awarded Yul Kwon, the "godfather" of the CBS game "Survivor: Cook Islands," with the $1 million top prize Sunday in a classic finale that pitted brains vs. brawn.

Kwon, a management consultant who was the soft-spoken strategic whiz in the 13th edition of the game, bested Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth, the effortless athlete who dominated physical challenges as the game neared its end.

With the money on the line, it was a 5-4 vote.

"It's the first time I've ever felt bad that somebody didn't win," host Jeff Probst said. "It was so evenly matched."

Kwon, a 31-year-old management consultant who lives in San Mateo, Calif., was the brain with degrees from Stanford University and Yale Law School. He controlled the strategic aspect of the game, particularly after he found a hidden piece of jewelry that guaranteed him one-time immunity from being voted off the island.

"The key to winning the game is maximizing the good luck and minimizing the bad luck," he said later.