Owings Mills, Md. ? Don Pooley made a 10-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole Sunday to end an epic duel with Tom Watson and become the first qualifier to win the U.S. Senior Open.

More than five hours after the duo teed off as the final twosome of the afternoon, Pooley finally ended the drama and his 15-year winless drought on the PGA Tour.

After Watson’s birdie-chip from the rough went wide of the hole, Pooley was poised to hit the potential winning putt before stepping back. He then returned to drain one of the most important shots of his career.

He qualified for the tournament by winning a playoff, and won it the same way. The $450,000 first-place check was Pooley’s biggest since his last win on the tour, the 1987 Memorial. He became the sixth golfer to win the tournament in his first try, and the 12th to make his first win on the senior tour a major championship.

Watson, bidding to earn a U.S. Senior Open title to go with the U.S. Open crown he earned 20 years ago, trailed by five shots with 10 holes left in regulation before rallying.

Watson’s 4-under-par 67 and Pooley’s 70 left both at 10-under 274.

After the golfers battled through 18 holes and a three-hole playoff in which the cumulative scores were totaled, the players returned to the 18th hole for a sudden-death format.