Sunday, January 20, 2013

LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) -- Brian Gay won the Humana Challenge on Sunday for his fourth PGA Tour title, beating Charles Howell III with a 5 1/2-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a playoff.

Gay closed with a 9-under 63 on PGA West's Arnold Palmer Private Course to match Howell and Swedish rookie David Lingmerth at 25-under 263.

Howell shot a 64, and Lingmerth had a 62. Scott Stallings, five strokes ahead entering the round, bogeyed the final hole for a 70 to miss the playoff by a stroke.

Gay and Howell opened the playoff with birdies on the par-5 18th, and Lingmerth dropped out with a bogey after hitting his approach into the left-side water. Gay won on the par-4 10th, hitting a perfect drive and putting his 145-yard second shot in good position below the hole. Howell drove into the right rough, hit his second into the back bunker, blasted out to 15 feet and two-putted for bogey.

Copyright 2013 Associated Press