GREENSBORO, N.C. — For Ryan Moore, the Wyndham Championship was a lesson in patience.

He spent much of the week sitting around the clubhouse while thunderstorms produced three unwelcome delays. Then he finished his final round and wound up waiting again, this time to find out if a playoff was necessary.

That patience paid off Sunday in his first PGA Tour victory, when Moore birdied the third hole of a sudden death playoff to beat Kevin Stadler.

"I was able to stay patient, really," Moore said. "That's what won this one."

After vaulting up the leaderboard with five consecutive birdies on the back nine, he had two chances in the playoff to seal the victory after his approach on No. 18 landed in the middle of the green and rolled to 6 feet. He sank that putt for his first victory in his 112th event.

Stadler's second shot on the third playoff hole skipped off the back of the green. He chipped within 20 feet, but his putt drifted to the low side of the cup.

That cleared the way for Moore to make his first putt, pick up $918,000 and claim 500 FedEx Cup points for winning the final tournament before the playoffs start later this week.

"This felt like an uphill battle," said Moore, who turned pro in 2005. "The whole time I've been on the PGA Tour, I just haven't been healthy, haven't felt like myself, and really kind of got some good momentum (finishing tied for 10th) at the U.S. Open, really feeling like myself again over the golf ball, and just kind of getting some confidence back in the putter and every aspect of the game. That's really carried through to this week."

Stadler, Moore and Jason Bohn forced the playoff after they were tied at 16-under 264 through 72 holes. Bohn was eliminated on the first playoff hole after he had trouble escaping the greenside bunker on No. 18 and his first try rolled back into the sand.