Brian Harman chunked a pitch shot from the rough on the final hole and seemed headed for a playoff.
Then the left-hander holed a 28-foot birdie putt to cap a 4-under-par 68 and claimed his second PGA Tour victory by one stroke over top-ranked Dustin Johnson and Pat Perez in the Wells Fargo Championship at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, N.C.
“It’s surreal,” said the 30-year-old Harman, who also won the 2014 John Deere Classic. “After I three-putted the 15th hole, I knew it was going to be tough and I needed birdies on the last two holes. I just stuck with my game plan and did it.
“There’s a lot of emotion. I’ve been fighting hard and I thought I had a chance to win the Heritage (where he tied for ninth) a few weeks ago. I’ve been working hard and it feels really good. You just have to believe and trust what you are doing, stay in the moment and do it.”
Harman, who holed a five-foot birdie putt at No. 17, finished with a total of 10-under 278.
Johnson, playing for the first time since missing the Masters last month because of a back injury, made a 15-foot birdie putt on the last hole for his second straight 67 as he tried to win his fourth consecutive start.
“I feel 100 percent physically, but I didn’t really play well until the weekend,” said Johnson, who made the cut on the number after shooting 75 in round two. “I felt much better with the putter and I happy with my game going into (the Players Championship) next week.”
Perez, from San Diego, who won the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in November for his second PGA Tour victory, birdied four holes on the back nine to shoot 68.
Rookie Jon Rahm of Spain, who was in the lead until making a bogey on the 15th hole, totaled 71 to finish two shots back in fourth, while Smylie Kaufman recorded a 69 to wind up another stroke down in a tie for fifth with Kevin Tway, who posted a 70, and Seung-Yul Noh of South Korea, who had a 71.
Jonathan Randolph shot 67 and was four behind in a tie for eighth with Billy Hurley III, Nick Taylor and Byeong Hun An of South Korea, who all had 71s.
Patrick Reed, who led heading to the final round and still was ahead midway through the final round, made four bogeys on the back nine and tied for 12th after a 75, Phil Mickelson tied for 18th following a 72, and Adam Scott of Australia closed with a 70 to tie for 36th.
