Adam Schenk kept his cool to sink a clutch par putt on the last hole to win a thrilling Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on Sunday.

The American withstood ravaging wind to post an even-par 71 that left him a shot clear of compatriot Chandler Phillips at 12 under.

Schenk missed a short birdie putt on the same hole in the previous round, but with the title on the line and the prospect of facing Phillips in a play-off lingering, the 33-year-old was equal to the task.

“Honestly, what went through my mind is you just missed a four-footer at 17 and if you miss two four-footers in row to lose in a play-off I don’t know if you will ever win,” Schenk told The Royal Gazette.

“Your best chance to make it is just to get up there, hit it and hope it goes in. I hit a decent downhill putt that fell right in the middle of the hole fortunately.”

The victory was Schenk’s first in 243 starts on the PGA Tour.

“I can’t believe it and this place will always hold a special place in my heart because I’ve won my first PGA Tour tournament here,” said Schenk, who was making his third appearance in the tournament.

“I hope I can be a repetitive winner out there. But this will always be my first, so I am just so grateful and so happy. This is truly a dream come true.

“I’ve had such a good time in my experiences here and my uncle told me that I would. Everyone is very generous and kind and takes a lot of pride in their country, and it’s very great to see.”

Braden Thornberry, who held a share of the overnight lead with Schenk, got off to a flyer before shooting 80. He made birdies on the first two holes to take sole possession of first place before being reeled in by compatriot Vince Whaley, who rolled in the last of his four birdies of the round at the 6th.

Schenk joined the leaders after carding his only birdie of the day at the 5th and surged ahead for good after Thornberry bogeyed the 6th and Whaley, playing three groups ahead of the final threesome, dropped a shot at the 8th.

Things got better when his lead was doubled after nearest rival Rikuya Hoshino, of Japan, dropped a shot at 16. However, Schenk’s charge was halted when he missed a short par putt at the 15th for his only bogey of the round.

“I just struggled with that hole all week,” he said. “I didn’t do as good job as I really should’ve, but fortunately in the end it didn’t matter.”

Schenk regained a two-shot advantage after Alex Smalley dropped a shot on the last hole but a battling Phillips birdied 17 to shave the lead in half and make things interesting.

The leader had a glorious opportunity to afford himself more breathing room at the penultimate hole but was unable to capitalise when his four-foot birdie putt lipped out to leave him clinging to the lead with one to play.

But Schenk would not be denied his moment in the sun as he sealed victory in front of the large gallery gathered around the 18th green to finally put an end to his seven-year wait for a PGA Tour win.

He pocketed $1.08 million in prize money and also earned a two -year exemption. His place on the PGA Tour was in jeopardy after he arrived on island at No 134 in the FedExCup points standings and facing the prospect of returning to Q-School.

The win also guarantees Schenk at least one $20 million signature event next year, along with entry to the PGA Championship and The Players Championship.

Phillips, who finished runner-up at 11 under, described the round as the hardest he had ever played on Tour.

“When we finished, me, Max [McGreevy] and Adam [Hadwin] were walking back and we all agreed, this was probably the hardest round of golf I’ve ever played in my life,” he said.

“This week was really hard and I love playing hard golf. This course with no wind would be a birdie-fest. But playing in the wind, I made three bogeys today, one in the second round and a double the first round.

“If you’d told me that’s all my bad holes this week, I’d pay a lot of money for it before even starting.”

Smalley, Whaley, Frankie Capan III, McGreevy and Japan’s Takumi Kanaya finished tied for third.

Whaley, who went into the week feeling comfortable in the stiff breeze, was disappointed to come up just short.

“I love the wind,” Whaley said. “I grew up in Texas and I feel like I'm used to the wind. I feel like all of us play a little better when we get out of our own heads and can just kind of see shot, hit shot. That’s what you have to do out here as there’s no perfect swing.

“I knew going into today that the front nine is a little more guarded through the first seven holes so you had to make some birdies. I did a good job of that and I didn’t do as good of a job holding on as I wanted.

“The back nine was really hard today, but I’m pretty disappointed right now. I’m really upset with how I played on 17 and that tee shot I hit.”

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