Graeme McDowell earned his first title this year with a play-off success at the delayed OHL Classic in Mexico.

The Northern Irishman, 36, was tied on 18 under par with USA's Jason Bohn and Scotland's Russell Knox, who bogeyed the last in regulation play.

McDowell then birdied the 18th in sudden death to prevail.

"It has been a tough year but this is special. I have been dreaming of this day and I said to myself I was going to appreciate it when it came," he said.

"You go through a year like this and you think 'am I finished? Am I good enough?'

"I have stuck to my task the last couple of months and this is a nice step back up to where I want to be."

McDowell and Knox shared the lead at 19 under when play was suspended because of darkness at the El Camaleon Golf Club on Sunday after a rain-interrupted day.

Both men finished with five-under rounds of 66 on Monday as Bohn shot 68.

Knox was bidding for back-to-back victories, having picked up his maiden tournament win at the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai.

McDowell, who has fallen to 85 in the world rankings after only one top-10 finish in 25 events this year, three-putted the 16th and had to drain a 10-footer for par at the 18th.

Knox immediately picked up a shot at the 13th when play resumed on Monday but bogeyed the next.

The US-based Scot was leading as he teed up at the last but found a bunker, left a chip well short of the hole with his third shot and could not convert a 15-foot putt.

There was a delay of over three hours after Sunday's storms and Monday's closing holes were played out in gusty conditions.

However, McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion, was completely unflustered as he clipped a sweet iron to within a few feet of the target in the play-off, while Knox, who hit the longest drive, tugged his ball wide of the green.

Third-round leader Derek Fathauer finished on 16 under after a final round of 71.