Bruce Vaughan holed a 20-foot putt to beat John Cook in a playoff and win the Senior British Open, his first tournament victory either as a senior or a regular PGA Tour player.

In a dramatic turnaround at Royal Troon on Sunday, Cook squandered a three-stroke lead after 10 holes and went to the 72nd still leading Vaughan by one. But he fired his tee shot right into the rough and then played his third well short of the green. He still decided to putt, but left it 15 feet short for a bogey 5 to finish with an even par round of 71.

Vaughan made par for a 70 to leave both on 6-under 278, and the two Americans returned to the 18th tee for a sudden-death playoff — the championship’s third in the last four years.

Vaughan pitched to the center of the green and sank his 20-footer. When Cook missed his putt from 12 feet, the former firefighter from Hutchinson, Kansas, won his first tournament on the senior or regular PGA Tour. Vaughan also earned his biggest paycheck, $312,258.

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