CROMWELL, Connecticut, June 23, 2012 (AFP) - The 28-year-old Australian claimed his first PGA Tour title, firing an eight-under 62 to take the clubhouse lead at the Travelers Championship then waited it out as a series of contenders fell by the wayside.
"I can't believe it," said Leishman. "When I finished I didn't quite know if it would be good enough. I was pretty confident it wouldn't be."
Leishman finished at 14-under 266, beginning his fourth round on Sunday six shots back of the leaders.
He had eight birdies in his bogey-free round, then waited in the clubhouse for over two hours while a number of challengers, including Charley Hoffman, tried to overtake him.
"I was getting ready to have a beer. But I didn't luckily," said Leishman of Warrnambool.
Hoffman was 16-under heading into the 17th hole but the American blew a two-stroke lead with a double bogey, bogey finish.
He plunked his tee shot in the water on 17. He then bogeyed the 18th hole after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.
Hoffman shot a 66 to finish in a tie for second with Masters winner Bubba Watson who fired a 65.
Watson was at minus-13 through 13 holes, but didn't make another birdie.
Leishman is the fifth player in seven years to post their maiden PGA Tour win at River Highlands course. He has four international wins, including the Jisan Resort Open in South Korea and the Queensland Cairns Classic in 2006 in his native Australia.
Leishman twice finished as the runner-up on the PGA Tour, and tied for third at the Byron Nelson Championship last month.
"It was different finishing early," Leishman said. "It is not what I expected for my first win, but an awesome way to do it."
Leishman was named PGA Tour rookie of the year in 2009 but failed to translate that into victories.
"After my rookie of the year season I didn't win. But now hopefully I can take a few more," he said.
Third-round leaders Brian Davis and Roland Thatcher both had poorly-timed bogeys on the back nine. Thatcher failed to birdie 18, handing the title to the Aussie.
Davis (70) and Thatcher (70) ended in a four-way tie for fourth.
Scores on Sunday after the fourth round of the $6 million PGA Tour's Travelers Championship (USA unless noted, par 70):
266 - Marc Leishman (AUS) 68-66-70-62
267 - Charley Hoffman 67-67-67-66, Bubba Watson 66-71-65-65
268 - Tim Clark (RSA) 66-69-66-67, Brian Davis (ENG) 67-67-64-70, John Rollins 68-67-65-68, Roland Thatcher 66-67-65-70
269 - Fredrik Jacobson (SWE) 65-66-70-68, Matt Kuchar 67-68-66-68, Brendon de Jonge (ZIM) 72-65-66-66
270 - Padraig Harrington (IRL) 69-67-65-69, Hunter Mahan 70-69-70-61, Chez Reavie 66-71-65-68, Vaughn Taylor 70-70-65-65
271 - Will Claxton 65-67-69-70, Heath Slocum 70-66-69-66, Cameron Tringale 69-70-68-64
272 - Stuart Appleby (AUS) 68-65-67-72, Gary Christian (ENG) 66-68-72-66, James Driscoll 68-66-66-72, Tommy Gainey 66-68-70-68, Seung-yul Noh (KOR) 68-68-68-68, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) 71-66-68-67