Australian Jason Day parred the second hole of a four-man sudden death playoff Sunday to win the $6.3 million Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course.
Day began the round among five golfers two shots behind co-leaders Harris English and J.B. Holmes. He earned a spot in the playoff with English, Holmes and defending champion Scott Stallings by shooting a two-under-par 70.
Day and Holmes prolonged the playoff with birdies on the par-5 18th, while English and Stallings were eliminated with pars.
The playoff then moved to the par-3 16th.
Holmes took the first shot, hitting his drive over the green.
Day's drive landed next to the pin and rolled out to 15 feet. Holmes bogeyed the hole, while Day two-putted for the par and his third victory on the PGA Tour and first since last year's Accenture Match Play Championship.
"I'm just real proud of myself just to hang in there," said Day, who received $1.134 million for the victory. "It was a tough week for everyone. I'm just glad to get No. 3. Hopefully this is a gate that can open up for me for many more."
Day said the tournament "felt really like a U.S. Open."
"The conditions were tough," said Day, who shot nine-under-par 279 for the tournament
English got into the playoff by tapping in a four-foot putt for a birdie on the 18th hole, completing a round at even-par 72.
Holmes' 21-foot downhill putt for a birdie and the tournament win on 18 slid by the hole. The three-inch par putt that followed put in at even-par 72 for the round.
"I had my opportunities today and I feel like most of the time I'm going to come through there and today it just didn't happen for me," Holmes said after his first top 10 finish since winning the Wells Fargo Championship last May.
Stallings shot a three-under-par 69 after beginning the round three shots behind the co-leaders. He had an eagle on the par-5 13th and finished regulation play with pars on each of the final five holes.
"I hit my shots coming down the stretch and gave myself chances and didn't capitalize," Stallings said after his first first top 10 finish since winning the tournament last year.
"But at the end of the day I played really well and gave myself a chance to win. It's a nice week as defending champion to have a chance to win again."
Charles Howell III and Alex Prugh both fell one shot short of qualifying for the playoff at eight-under-par 280. Prugh's birdie bid on 18 came up an inch short and settled for a one-under-par 71.
"I hit a lot of good shots coming down the stretch, made a lot of good up-and-downs on a couple holes in a row, so I didn't make a ton of mistakes," said Prugh, a 30-year-old who divides his time between the PGA and developmental Web.com tours.
"Still played under par golf on the course, so it's nothing to complain about. I would just love one or two less."
The top 10 finish was Prugh's first on the PGA Tour since 2010.
Howell shot a final-round four-under par 68, matching the day's second lowest score with Shane Lowry. Chad Collins had the day's lowest score, a five- under-par 67.
The 35-year-old Howell has not won on the PGA Tour since the 2007 Nissan Open.
