RALEIGH, North Carolina - Rookie Brandt Snedeker, playing aggressively in sapping conditions, won his first PGA Tour title with a two-shot victory at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro yesterday.

The 26-year-old from Tennessee, five strokes off the pace at the start of the day, birdied four of the last six holes to hold off fellow American Tim Petrovic in a thrilling duel over the back nine.

Snedeker, who earned his PGA Tour card by finishing ninth on last year's Nationwide Tour money list, fired a sparkling nine-under-par 63 — the best score of the week — for a 22-under 266 at Forest Oak Country Club.

Petrovic, one ahead with five holes to play in the final event of the Tour's regular season, bogeyed the last for a 67 to share second place with compatriots Jeff Overton (70) and Billy Mayfair (67).

Swede Carl Pettersson, a resident of nearby Raleigh and a double winner on the PGA Tour, finished fifth at 19 under after shooting a six-birdie 68.

"I still don't believe it right now," a beaming Snedeker told reporters after earning the winner's cheque for $900,000 and a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.

"I'm talking a mile a minute and doing everything a mile a minute just trying to realise what has just happened. It's a great day and it's been an unbelievable experience this week."

Snedeker, the leading candidate for the 2007 PGA Tour rookie of the year award, was delighted to learn he had also gained an automatic invitation to next year's Masters.

"It's going to be exciting," he said. "I was fortunate enough to play there (at Augusta National) as an amateur a couple of years ago and to get back was probably one of my main goals when I turned pro.

"To go ahead and realise that right now after my first year out here is unbelievable. I am getting goose bumps right now just thinking of everything that comes along with this win."

Snedeker, who had produced four top 10s in his previous seven Tour starts, set the tone for the final round with a blistering front nine of six-under 30.

With his broad trademark smile ever present, he rattled up birdies at the first, second, fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth to reach the turn one stroke behind Petrovic.

After offsetting a bogey at the 12th with a birdie at the 13th, Snedeker rolled in a 10-footer at the par-four 14th to join Petrovic in a tie for the lead at 20 under.

The confident rookie forged ahead for the first time after picking up his ninth shot of the round at the par-five 15th before Petrovic caught him with a birdie of his own at the 16th.

However, Snedeker regained the outright lead after coaxing in a 33-foot birdie putt at the 17th and he parred the last to become the 10th first-time winner on the 2007 PGA Tour.