Red-hot Stuart Appleby sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the first play-off hole at the Las Vegas Invitational, defeating Scott McCarron for his first title since 1999.

"It has been a bit of a drought, especially for me," Appleby said. "Winning is what we are all here for."

Appleby had to watch McCarron miss from 14 feet on the high side of the hole before he could secure the £430,000 winner's cheque.

"I actually wanted to putt first," said Appleby, who finished the 90-hole event at 31-under-par 328.

"For me, I don't gain a lot from other people's putts."

It marked the third straight start that Appleby finished no worse than second. He tied for second at the 84 Lumber Classic and the American Express Championship.

In his last three starts, Appleby has earned more than £850,000 to jump to 10th on the money list and guarantee himself a spot in the Tour Championship.

"This is the best I have played," he said. "All the stats are there. I just had to make more putts. That is what you have to do out here.

"I really like it, the way I have putted."

Appleby could have won in regulation, but he bogeyed the par-three 17th hole to fall back into a tie with McCarron. After both parred the 18th, they returned to the 18th tee to begin the play-off.

Both drove the ball in the fairway. Appleby hit his approach within 15 feet of the cup and watched McCarron's roll just inside his, but Appleby converted his putt to win it.

It was the fifth play-off in the history of the event and the first since Tiger Woods defeated Davis Love III in 1996.

Collated final scores (US unless stated)

328 Stuart Appleby (Aus) 62 68 63 66 69, Scott McCarron 69 62 64 67 66 (Aplleby won at 1st play-off hole)

331 Steve Lowery 65 64 70 65 67

332 Scott Verplank 64 62 66 73 67

333 David Frost (Rsa) 67 65 71 65 65

334 Steve Flesch 62 64 66 68 74, Woody Austin 65 65 65 72 67

335 Billy Andrade 66 71 65 66 67

336 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 66 64 71 68 67, Robert Allenby (Aus) 66 66 65 66 73, Jerry Kelly 65 67 65 73 66, Phil Mickelson 67 64 69 68 68

337 Jim Furyk 65 67 67 70 68

338 Paul Goydos 67 65 68 67 71, Frank Lickliter II 70 64 69 66 69, Patrick Sheehan 66 67 68 69 68

339 Dean Wilson 67 63 74 69 66, Charles Howell III 63 65 70 69 72, Matt Gogel (Aus) 71 68 66 67 67, Mark Wilson 64 68 68 72 67, Kirk Triplett 68 69 67 68 67, Mark Brooks 68 65 64 70 72, Stewart Cink 67 66 69 67 70, Glen Day 68 63 71 69 68, Brad Faxon 70 71 65 63 70

340 John Senden 63 67 69 71 70, Tim Petrovic 64 67 66 70 73, Kent Jones 69 65 66 69 71, Tom Byrum 69 67 69 70 65, Russ Cochran 64 67 70 72 67, Bill Glasson 67 67 63 71 72, Kenichi Kuboya (Jpn) 71 65 67 66 71

341 Phillip Price (Gbr) 69 66 70 69 67, Chris Riley 65 68 73 67 68, Jeff Brehaut 64 68 69 71 69, Rich Beem 63 67 70 71 70, Duffy Waldorf 69 67 67 70 68, Chris DiMarco 68 67 68 68 70, Pat Bates 69 70 64 70 68, Donnie Hammond 67 67 69 69 69, Skip Kendall 69 68 65 69 70, Tom Lehman 71 65 66 71 68, Andrew Magee 66 71 69 67 68

342 Todd Fischer 67 70 65 70 70, Stephen Ames (Tri) 66 69 68 73 66, Dan Forsman 62 69 75 69 67, Robert Gamez 66 71 67 68 70

343 Richard S. Johnson (Swe) 66 65 68 75 69, John Riegger 68 68 67 67 73, Craig Barlow 62 67 68 73 73, Jeff Sluman 68 67 69 71 68, Paul Stankowski 68 65 72 66 72

344 Brian Bateman 68 68 70 71 67, Bart Bryant 68 68 70 73 65, Bob Burns 64 67 67 77 69, Mike Heinen 67 68 65 72 72

345 Deane Pappas (Rsa) 65 72 68 69 71, Bob Estes 69 68 67 76 65, Tim Herron 67 62 66 78 72, Len Mattiace 72 68 65 71 69

346 Darren Clarke (Gbr) 63 71 68 73 71

347 Ben Crane 67 68 68 72 72, Chad Campbell 64 71 70 71 71, Cliff Kresge 67 70 69 74 67, Paul Azinger 66 69 71 72 69, Joe Durant 67 68 70 73 69, Jesper Parnevik (Swe) 66 69 70 70 72, Dicky Pride 67 68 70 70 72

348 Jonathan Byrd 65 70 71 69 73, Steve Pate 66 74 66 69 73

349 Greg Chalmers (Aus) 72 66 65 72 74, Vance Veazey 69 67 68 74 71

350 Peter Jacobsen (Den) 69 66 71 72 72, Billy Mayfair 71 68 67 72 72, Tom Pernice Jr 67 66 72 76 69

351 Cameron Yancey 70 65 70 74 72

352 Aaron Barber 63 67 73 77 72, Spike McRoy 68 69 68 70 77

356 Edward Fryatt (Gbr) 69 69 68 74 76

360 Notah Begay III 68 70 68 79 75