American Troy Merritt, who missed the cut in his prior five starts, relished his battle with Rickie Fowler after winning his first PGA Tour title with a surprise success at the Quicken Loans National.

The unheralded 29-year-old held off US star Rickie Fowler and Swede David Lingmerth over the back nine, closing with a 35-foot birdie putt to become the 10th first-time winner on the US PGA Tour this season but the first in the history of the National.

“When it happens, you’re not thinking,” Merritt said of his breakthrough win moment. “You really don’t even know what your name is. I was just really happy.”

World No180 Merritt, who fired a tournament-record 61, on 18-under 266 for a three-stroke victory over Fowler with Lingmerth third on 270. Justin Rose shared fourth on 272 with five others. 

Merritt, whose best prior finish was second at Memphis last year, tweaked his putting stance after weeks of frustration and it paid instant benefits, qualifying him for his first major in two weeks at the PGA Championship.

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“You just don’t give up,” Merritt said. “You keep grinding.”

Fowler birdied five of the last eight holes but made bogeys on four of the seven before that, his charge too little and too late.

“I was able to rally and make some birdies coming in but really disappointed with how I went out,” Fowler said. “Nice to kind of turn things around. Had to at least scare Troy a little bit.”