La Quinta, California - Brian Gay clinched his fourth PGA Tour title in champion style when he beat fellow American Charles Howell III and Swede David Lingmerth in a sudden-death playoff to win the Humana Challenge on Sunday.
Gay sealed victory in fading light on the Palmer Private course at PGA West after striking a superb approach to five feet at the par-four 10th, the second extra hole, and coolly sinking the birdie putt.
Howell, bidding to claim his first title on the US circuit in six years, bogeyed the hole after ending up in the back left bunker, splashing out to nine feet beyond the pin and missing the par putt.
PGA Tour rookie Lingmerth was eliminated at the first extra hole, the par-five 18th, where he bogeyed after hitting his second shot into water.
Howell, with a solid two-putt after reaching the green there in two, and Gay, who chipped from just off the green to four feet, both birdied the hole.
The trio had finished the 72 regulation holes on 25-under-par 263, Howell signing off with an eight-under 64, Gay carding a 63 and Lingmerth matching the day's best score with a 62.
American Scott Stallings, who was five strokes clear overnight, bogeyed the par-five last after hitting his second shot into water to drop out of the lead for the first time in the final round, finishing with a 70 at 24 under. - Reuters