After two years of waiting what’s a couple extra holes anyway?

Trevor Werbylo birdied the third playoff hole to capture the inaugural Lake Charles Championship Sunday at The Country Club at Golden Nugget.

It was Werbylo’s first victory on the Korn Ferry Tour, earning him $135,000.

Werbylo outlasted third-round leader Seonghyeon Kim, who missed a 6-foot putt on the final hole after knocking his tee shot into the bunker.

“This feels amazing,” said Werbylo, who was in contention late last weekend before faltering down the stretch. “I don’t know if it has totally sunk in yet. It is special.”

Werbylo’s winning putt came one hole after he escaped from trouble on the second playoff hole. After hitting his tee shot into the weeds behind the grand stand, Werblyo managed to make a birdie as Kim was doing the same much more easily. Werbylo’s chip shot went over the green a little, but he saved his day by sinking a 14-footer while Kim was making one from about five feet.

It will be remembered in tourney lore as the birdie from the bushes.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Werbylo said of his shot to the green. “I was chipping back into the wind and had a lot of green to work with. I actually shot it too far.

“Then I just had to make the putt.”

Kim, who had a one-shot lead heading into the day but struggled early, had a chance to win the tournament on the first playoff hole. However, he missed a 6-foot birdie putt and both players finished with pars.

“You have no control on that, you just have to stay focused,” said Werbylo.

Last weekend, Werbylo missed making a playoff by one shot. Sunday he came out storming.

Werbylo fired a 4-under par 32 on the front nine to grab the lead. But he stumbled a bit, falling back a shot with a bogey on 16. He finished birdie-birdie to end his round at 63, 8-under. That was best on the day and made his score 70-69-64-63—266.

The big swing was on No. 17.

“Coming off a sloppy bogey on 16, I was able to make a 30-foot put on 17,” Werbylo said. “That got me back some momentum.”

Kim, who entered the day five shots in front of Werbylo, shot a 3-under 68 and needed birdies on the final two holes as well to force the playoff. He actually came alive with an eagle-3 on 14 to get his round going. Before that he was 1-over for the day.

“You have to figure your opponent is going to make his putt so you have to just be ready,” Werbylo said of the playoff.

Werbylo said the pressure of the week before helped get him through the day.

“Last week, with the way I finished was motivation,” Werbylo said. “To get back this week and be in the same position was special.”

Eric Cole came in third, finishing with a 15-under 269. He shot 4-under on Sunday. Thursday he made the first hole-in-one in the tournament’s history on the Par-3 7th.

Cole grabbed the lead with a birdie on 16 to go 16-under but finished with a bogey and two pars. MJ Daffue and second-round co-leader Vince India also led during the last round.

The tournament had been delayed two years first by COVID-19 and then last year from damage from hurricanes Laura and Delta. It is contracted to run through the 2024 season.