Byrd makes history with title-winning ace

(CNN) -- Jonathan Byrd is coming to terms with being the first golfer to win a PGA Tour title with a hole-in-one.

In fading light in Las Vegas, the American aced the par-three 17th with the opening shot of the fourth hole of a three-man playoff to triumph at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

It was only his second hole-in-one during a tournament, but he managed the feat at the par-four 15th hole on the same TPC Summerlin course during a practice round earlier in his career.

The 32-year-old had survived a big scare at the previous hole, when his ball stopped just short of dropping into the water hazard and he recovered to save par.

Byrd's opponents Martin Laird and Cameron Percy shook his hand after he nailed his six-iron tee shot -- then both found water with their attempts to match his feat into the water to give him the $756,000 winner's prize.

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"It's kind of hard to process because I'm still kind of in shock," he told reporters after clinching his fourth title since joining the main U.S. circuit in 2002.

"I was trying to be considerate of my playing partners because two more guys had a chance to keep playing, and I didn't want to overreact. I'm numb, pretty much."

Byrd, the 2002 rookie of the year after winning the Buick Challenge in his debut season, ended any fears he may have had about losing his playing card for next year after leaping up 65 places in the money list to 52nd with $1,534,981 in earnings this year.

He revealed that the trio had decided to play one more hole despite the growing darkness, in order to avoid coming back on Monday to complete the tournament.

"The only thing in my mind is I kept thinking, 'You know what, I want to keep playing, I obviously want to win the golf tournament, but I haven't seen my wife and my kids in two weeks and I'm going to miss the flight tonight and we're going to be playing, so that doesn't sound too good.' It all worked out as good as it could have."

Byrd had birdied his last three of 72 regulation holes to put himself in the playoff with a three-under-par 68, as Martin Laird missed his closing putt to agonizingly fall short of successfully defending his title.

The Scotsman could only par his last three holes to sign for a 69, while Australian Percy birdied his final hole to shoot a flawless 67 and also be on 21-under 263.

Laird said Byrd deserved the victory after his opponent narrowly missed sinking a long putt the first time they played 17th during the playoff.

"You can't ever prepare for a hole-in-one, but he hit a great shot. You know, like I said to him when he made it, that putt on 17 should have gone in the first time around, so it was kind of maybe deserved because I don't know how that putt stayed out," he said.

"It was going to take something special to win it the way we were all playing, and it certainly did."