Jason Day of Australia came through a four-man playoff to win the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California.

Day fired a final round of 70 to finish on a four-round total of nine-under-par. That finishing number was matched by overnight leaders Harris English and J.B. Holmes, also by defending champion Scott Stallings, who closed with a 69.

On the first extra hole Day and Holmes made birdies and Stallings and English were eliminated. On the second hole of the playoff – the par-3 16th, Day played a fine shot into within 15-feet of the flag. Holmes fired his tee-shot through the green and could only make bogey from there. Day took the win, the third PGA Tour title of his career. The victory has moved Day to fourth place on the Official World Golf Ranking.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Day said. “I’ve been working so hard for this. I was visualizing myself holding the trophy, just like I did at the Match Play. I’m really proud of myself to hang in there and grind it out.”

Day very nearly didn’t make it to extra holes. On the 72nd hole, he went for the par-5 green in two and fired a 3-wood through the putting surface into thick rough. He chipped back too strongly and watched as the ball headed for the water. He thought it was wet, but it stopped just in time and he was able to save par and join the playoff.

J.B. Holmes played safe on the 72nd hole, laying up from 235 yards. He was unable to get up-and-down. After the round, he explained why he’d decided not to go for it.

“It was a lie that my tendency is to hit it a little bit further and hit a draw, and long and left is dead,” Holmes said. “If you hit something over the green there, it’s not really an easy up-and-down. It’s not really the best access to the pin. The best play is to lay up and hit a wedge. If I had the same thing again, I would lay up.”

Scotland’s Martin Laird enjoyed another good week. He was let down by a poor round on Saturday, but bounced back with a 69 to finish in a tie for seventh with Jimmy Walker, Nick Watney and Ireland’s Shane Lowry.

Farmers Insurance Open
Torrey Pines GC (South), San Diego, California
Feb 5-8, purse: $6,300,000, par: 72

1    Jason Day (Aus)        73    65    71    70    279    $1,134,000
T2    Harris English (USA)    68    66    73    72    279    $470,400
T2    J.B. Holmes (USA)    69    70    68    72    279    $470,400
T2    Scott Stallings (USA)    70    72    68    69    279    $470,400
T5    Charles Howell III (USA) 72    70    70    68    280    $239,400
T5    Alex Prugh (USA)        70    70    69    71    280    $239,400
T7    Martin Laird (Sco)        68    68    76    69    281    $189,788
T7    Shane Lowry (Ire)    74    67    72    68    281    $189,788
T7    Jimmy Walker (USA)    72    66    70    73    281    $189,788
T7    Nick Watney (USA)    71    65    72    73    281    $189,788

Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage