Senden settles for sixth

John Senden has finished the Wyndham Championship six shots adrift of winner Carl Pettersson in a tie for sixth spot on 15-under.

Senden capped off a solid showing at the tournament with his third four-under-par round of 66 in four days.

The Australian, who also began the day in equal sixth, landed six birdies and two bogeys to finish level with South African Tim Clark and American Kevin Streelman.

David Lutterus was the next-best Aussie on 10-under while Nick Flanagan (six-under) finished four strokes further back.

However, Pettersson (21-under) staked his claim for a place on the European Ryder Cup team with a two-stroke victory.

Recovering from two successive soft bogeys that left him behind with seven holes remaining, Pettersson, a Swede who has lived in North Carolina for half of his 30 years, roared back with three late birdies to beat Scott McCarron (19-under) by two strokes, picking up $US 918,000 ($AU 1,052,200) for his third PGA Tour victory.

"I'm thrilled. This is home for me," he said after carding 68 to finish on 259 for the tournament, a record low score in the historic event that dates back to 1938.

Pettersson is the third Swede to win on the PGA Tour this year, and the second to prevail in Greensboro, following 1999 champion Jesper Parnevik.

And though Pettersson remains a long shot to earn an automatic berth on the European side, he must be one of the names Nick Faldo will consider when he makes his two captain's picks in two weeks' time.

Pettersson, who moved to Greensboro at the age of 15 when his father, a Volvo executive, received a job transfer, admits he feels more American than European, but that does not mean he wants to sit out the Ryder cup.

"I'm Swedish, but I really feel American, to be honest with you," he said. "My heritage is European and I would love to play on Nick's team. I'm going to be playing hard for Europe if I make that team."

Pettersson began the final round with a two-stroke lead over McCarron, who quickly erased the deficit with two early birdies.

Pettersson edged one stroke clear at the turn, before making a mess of the next two holes, three-putting from the fringe at the 10th and dropping another shot at the 11th after missing the green and then hitting a mediocre chip.

Suddenly, McCarron had the lead and the momentum, and he sensed a chance to go further ahead after hitting his tee shot to 10-feet at the par-three 12th.

Pettersson sprayed his tee shot right of the green and chipped down to 13 feet. He was in deep trouble, potentially on the verge of going three shots down, but he coolly drained the par putt. McCarron subsequently missed not only his birdie chance, but also a three-footer to save par, walking off with a demoralising bogey that left them tied up again.

"I think that was the turning point, me making par there on 12," said Pettersson. "I told myself on the next tee box I've got to put the pressure on Scott and hit a great tee shot. I had momentum and I felt I had to be aggressive on that hole."

McCarron, who has not won since 2001 and is on the comeback after major elbow surgery two years ago, admitted he blew it on hole 12.

"I let it