Australian golfer Mark Hensby has survived a rollercoaster play-off to secure his maiden victory on the PGA Tour Champions.
Having considered retiring after 2022, 51-year-old Hensby continued some rich form when he denied South Korean Charlie Wi his own breakthrough win with a par on the fourth extra hole at the Invited Celebrity Classic in Irving, Texas.
He will now have full membership on the tour for players aged 50 and over and has risen to third in its Charles Schwab Cup season standings, after also finishing second at the Trophy Hassan II in Morocco and tied third at the Cologuard Classic in Arizona.
The tournament's fifth alternate, Wi only gained entry after five players withdrew but he threatened a boilover after seizing the outright lead on the back nine on Sunday.
But then Wi - who never won on the PGA Tour but was five times a runner up - looked to have blown his chances with a series of three putts and a double bogey on the par-5 16th before he birdied 17 and 18.
That left Hensby needing to birdie the last to force a play-off.
He did just that after delivering the shot of the final round, a three wood from 269 yards to the back of the par 5 18th for two.
The Australian missed his eagle putt that would have sealed victory in regulation play, then scrambled for a par on the first extra hole despite finding the water and taking a penalty.
Both players also parred the second extra hole, then had short birdie putts on the third play-off hole - the 18th again - but missed.
When Wi dunked his second ball in the water and registered a double bogey on the fourth play-off hole, Hensby clinched victory and the $US300,000 ($A448,200) winner's cheque with an easy two-putt par.
"Obviously after last year I wasn't going to play anymore, and then coming out and having a good start this year, it's nice to obviously win on this tour," Hensby said.
"I think when you win anywhere these days, it's an accomplishment. Yeah, I'm happy. I mean, I'm tired today but happy. I didn't have my best today, but overall it was exciting."
Hensby's lone win on the PGA Tour came at the 2004 John Deere Classic, also in a play-off, and he also won the 2005 Scandinavian Masters on the European tour.
Hensby's success continued a great recent run for Australian golfers in which Grace Kim won her maiden title on the LPGA Tour in a play-off at the LOTTE Championship in Hawaii and Lucas Herbert took out the DP World Tour's ISPS Handa Championship in Japan on the third extra hole.
