Danny Lee becomes the eighth Kiwi to win a US PGA Tour title with victory in a playoff at the Greenbrier Classic.

Danny Lee has become the first New Zealander to win a US PGA Tour title in 10 years after claiming victory at the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia.

After a tense final round with four players sharing the lead at 13-under, Lee beat Canadian David Hearn and Americans Kevin Kisner and Robert Streb in a playoff to claim victory.

"All I can say is wow," Lee said after banging in a 3-footer to win.

Darren Carroll/ Getty Images New Zealand golf No 1 Danny Lee lifts the trophy for his victory on the PGA Tour at the Greenbrier Classic.

"It's amazing just amazing. I've been so close so many times this year and to win one, wow.

"This is what winning feels like."

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Darren Carroll/ Getty Images New Zealand golf No 1 Danny Lee celebrates hitting birdie on the first playoff hole at the Greenbrier Classic.

Lee takes home a winner's purse of US$1.2 million (NZ$1.8m) out of a total prize pool of US$6.7m (NZ$10m) and claims tour exemptions, qualifying for the Open Championship, the PGA Championship and next year's Masters.

He moves to 15th on the season-long Fed-Ex Cup standings and gains a PGA Tour card for the next two years.

The last New Zealander to win a PGA Tour event was Michael Campbell at the US Open in 2005. Before him was Craig Perks in 2002 at the Players Championship.

Darren Carroll/ Getty Images Kiwi golfer Danny Lee tees off on the third hole in the final round of the Greenbrier Classic.

Lee was the eighth Kiwi to win a PGA Tour title with Sir Bob Charles the most successful having won six in his career.

The win propels Lee into the world's top 100 golfers, possibly as high as No 81. Lee started the tournament ranked No 158 and was the world No 264 at the start of the season.

He also moves into striking distance of the internationals team at the President's Cup with the world No 53 the current lowest-ranked player in the side. The final make-up of the team is decided on September 7.

The victory makes Lee near impossible to catch in the race to the 2016 Rio Olympics, with the top two New Zealand golfers earning a spot on the Kiwi team.

Lee, known for his wit on the tour, also won a green jacket for his efforts, though he was quick to point out the issue with its size, quipping: "I'm probably a medium and this is an extra-large."

Speaking with media after the victory Lee also noted he "loved" Greenbrier, but wished that he had a girlfriend so he wouldn't be so lonely.

He was happy though.

"Blood is rushing through all of my body right now. I'm speechless. It's a great feeling," Lee said.

TENSE FINALE

On course in the final round on Sunday (NZT Monday), Lee eliminated Kisner and Streb in the first playoff hole with a fantastic birdie, and then played a solid second playoff hole to par the par-five 17th as Hearn capitulated for bogey.

In the first playoff hole - the par-3 18th - a cool, calm tee shot put Lee to within 20 feet. It was within two-feet of where he had put it in regulation, a putt he had left short, but he made no mistake with his second opportunity, hitting it sweetly into the heart of the hole.

American Kevin Kisner took four shots to find the green after landing in some thick rough at the back of the green and Streb also missed the green from his tee-shot and couldn't hole the chip.

Lee looked to have it in the bag on the first playoff, but Hearn nailed a 20-footer to force a second playoff hole, taking it to the 17th again.

Both Lee and Hearn drove their balls well left of the fairway as the rain came down.

Lee's took a big kick off the cart path to give himself an opening from the rough while Hearn found his way blocked by a tree.

Lee laid up and then played a six-iron to 40 feet, which he was able to two-putt.

It was a hole he had earlier birdied to tie the lead.

The Kiwi No 1 was one shot off the pace after the first, second and third rounds and remained one shot back until the 17th hole when he drained a birdie to get to 13-under.

He had a birdie putt to move to 14-under on the par-3 18th but had to settle for par and a three-under 67.

Earlier in the day, Lee started his final round with five straight pars before going birdie, bogey, birdie of holes six, seven and eight to be out in 33.

Streb was the fan favourite to win after carding a five-under-par 65. He did it despite breaking his putter earlier in the final round, going on a birdie blitz on the back nine to tie the lead putting with his sand wedge.

Tiger Woods climbed 15 places with a three-under-par final round to finish tied for 32nd.

Lee carded a topsy-turvy two-under 68 in the third round on Saturday (NZT Sunday), moving to 10-under par for the tournament and a share of fifth place.

He was one shot behind four players - Americans Jason Bohn, Sean O'Hair and Bryce Molder, and South Korea's SJ Park.

Lee is enjoying a consistent season with three top-10s and eight top-25s from 26 starts.

KIWI WINNERS ON THE PGA TOUR

1974 - Sir Bob Charles won the last of his six PGA Tour titles at the Greater Greensboro Open. He also won PGA tournaments twice in 1963, including the Open Championship, and in 1965, 1967 and in 1968.

1976 - John Lister won the Ed McMahon-Jaycees Quad Cities Open by two shots.

1993 - Grant Waite nabs his sole victory on the world's toughest tour at the Kemper Open.

1997 - Frank Nobilo also wins Greater Greensboro. It's his only PGA Tour win.

2002 - Phil Tataurangi wins his only PGA Tour title at the Invensys Classic.

2002 - Craig Perks only won once on the PGA Tour, but it was a good one, the Players' Championship.

2005 - Michael Campbell has 15 professional wins, his one PGA Tour title was as big as they come, though, the 2005 US Open.