Potter wins Greenbrier Classic in playoff

(Reuters) - PGA Tour rookie Ted Potter Jr. won his first title on the U.S. circuit with a nerve-jangling playoff victory over fellow American Troy Kelly at the Greenbrier Classic in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia on Sunday.

As the late afternoon shadows lengthened on the Old White TPC Course, Potter sealed the win with a four-foot birdie putt at the third extra hole, the par-three 18th, after Kelly missed his attempt from 45 feet.

Left-hander Potter had a golden opportunity to wrap up victory one hole earlier, at the par-five 17th, but he lipped out with a birdie putt from five feet after Kelly had rolled in a 20-footer to save par.

The two journeymen, who have played most of their golf on the 'mini' tours, finished the regulation 72 holes on 16-under-par 264, Kelly closing with a four-under 66 and Potter storming home birdie-par-eagle-birdie for a 64.

South Korean Charlie Wi eagled the 17th on the way to a 65 to share third place at 14 under with PGA Tour rookie Charlie Beljan (67).

U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson, two strokes ahead overnight in pursuit of a fourth PGA Tour title, tumbled backwards with three consecutive bogeys from the 12th to finish with a 73 in a five-way tie for seventh.

For much of Sunday afternoon, the tournament appeared to come down to a head-to-head between Simpson and Kelly as they dueled for the title in the final pairing.

Kelly made a fast start, birdies at the second and fourth, where he hit a superb approach to three feet, putting him in a tie for the lead with Simpson at 14 under.

He then birdied the par-four fifth to move one stroke clear of his playing partner, who safely parred the first five holes.

Simpson regained a share of the lead when he sank a four-footer to birdie the seventh before Kelly fell back with a bogey on nine after finding the left rough off the tee and missing the green with his approach.

Kelly again moved into a tie at the top with a birdie at the 11th, where he knocked in a three-footer, before Simpson began his slide backwards with bogeys at the 12th, where he three-putted, and at the 13th.

Kelly briefly moved two ahead of the pack after sinking an 11-footer to birdie the 14th before Potter took the tournament into a playoff with his barnstorming finish.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Ken Ferris and Greg Stutchbury)