SAN ANTONIO -- Robert Gamez figured he needed a fast start in the final round of the Valero Texas Open to end the longest stretch between victories in PGA TOUR history.

He got the start and the result he was looking for.

Gamez opened with three birdies and added three more on the back nine Sunday, closing with a 6-under 64 for a three-stroke victory and his first win on TOUR in 15½ years.

"It has been a long time, a long time coming," Gamez said. "I knew it would happen. I just didn't know when."

The 37-year-old Gamez had gone 394 events without winning, dating to the 1990 Bay Hill Invitational, a stretch of 15 years, 6 months. He recently surpassed Butch Baird's record of 15 years, 5 months and 10 days between wins. Ed Fiori went 409 events without winning.

Gamez reached 18-under 262 at LaCantera Golf Club's Resort Course. Olin Browne, a winner two weeks ago at the Deutsche Bank Championship, also shot a 64 and finished at 15 under. Mark Wilson (68) and third-round leader Woody Austin (69) tied for third at 14 under. J.J. Henry (68) and Bob Heintz (68) shared fifth at 13 under.

Browne tied Gamez for the lead on the 518-yard, par-5 14th when he rolled in a 6-foot putt for birdie.

"He was scaring me there for a while," Gamez said.

Gamez, playing four holes behind Browne, regained the lead on the downwind, 427-yard 11th hole by rolling in an 11-foot birdie putt. He added birdies at Nos. 13 and 14.

Robert Gamez won for the first time in over 15 years. (Grayson/WireImage)

"I sure wish I made a couple more putts and at least made him stress a little more," Browne said. "He's obviously immensely talented and he's playing like he knows how again."

The victory was worth $630,000 for Gamez, who won the Tucson Open and Nestle Invitational in 1990 and has eight second-place finishes since. In 1994, he won the Casio World Open in Japan, not an official PGA TOUR event.

Gamez was injured in a car accident in 1998 and missed a month of action. It took him much longer to play without pain from the back, neck and hand injuries sustained in the accident.

"To come all the way back -- I'm so proud of myself because I've worked so hard," Gamez said. "It took me more than two years where I could actually play without pain."

Gamez started the round in a three-way tie for second, a stroke behind Austin. But after a run of three birdies, opened a three-stroke lead over John Senden, Henry and Wilson and was five ahead of Browne.

David Duval, the former top-ranked player who made his first cut of the season at this tournament, had a closing 4-over 74 and tied for 60th, 19 shots out of the lead. He had missed 18 straight cuts.

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