PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Charl Schwartzel used two big birdies to close with a 4-under 67 and make up a five-shot deficit. All he needed was a par on the first hole of a playoff Sunday at Innisbrook to beat Bill Haas and win the Valspar Championship.

Schwartzel’s two-putt par on the 18th hole in a playoff gave him his third victory worldwide in his last six starts dating to December.

Haas, who never trailed over the final 27 holes of regulation, hit his tee shot into the trees in the playoff, came up short into a bunker and blasted long out of the soft sand to 20 feet. He missed the par putt, and Schwartzel tapped in for his first victory in America since the 2011 Masters.

The loudest cheers belonged to Lee McCoy, the senior at Georgia who grew up next to Innisbrook and made good on his first sponsor’s exemption. Playing alongside Jordan Spieth, McCoy shot 69 to finish alone in fourth. It was the best finish by an amateur in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event since 17-year-old Justin Rose tied for fourth at the British Open in 1998 at Royal Birkdale.

McCoy would have earned $292,800 had he been a pro.

“It’s surreal to say the least,” McCoy said.

Spieth fell behind early, never caught up and closed with a 73 to tie for 18th, seven shots behind. He couldn’t help but applaud McCoy when he finished his round.

EUROPEAN TOUR: Scott Hend of Australia shot a final-round 68 to beat Piya Swangarunporn of Thailand by a stroke to win the Thailand Classic at the Black Mountain Golf Course in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Hend rolled in five birdies against one bogey for an overall total of 18-under-par 270 to win his second European Tour event. The Australian, who holed a crucial birdie on the 17th hole to take the lead, says “I’m very proud to win this title.”

The win marked the 43-year-old golfer’s second Asian Tour title in Thailand after the 2013 Chiang Mai Classic and the eighth on the Asian Tour.