La Jolla, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jason Day made par on the second playoff hole on Sunday to win the Farmers Insurance Open.
Day closed with a 2-under 70 to end at 9-under-par 279. He was joined there by J.B. Holmes (72), Harris English (72) and 2014 champ Scott Stallings (69).
The foursome returned to the 18th tee on the South Course at Torrey Pines for the playoff. All four reached the green in regulation. English rolled his long birdie effort within a foot of the hole and he tapped in for par. Stallings followed with his birdie try from about 15 feet out, and he missed left.
Holmes had played his third to three feet and he converted that for birdie. Day, who shared second place at this event last year, kicked in his short birdie putt to extend the playoff.
Day and Holmes moved to the par-3 16th. Holmes flew the green with his tee ball before Day's tee shot stopped 18 feet from the hole. Holmes pitched past the cup, then watched as Day missed his birdie try right of the hole.
Holmes failed to convert his par effort. Day sealed the win as he tapped in his par putt.
"It's an amazing feeling because I've been working so hard for this. I just kept visualizing myself holding the trophy this week, kind of like what I did at the (WGC) Match Play. I just said, I'm not going to stop, I'm not going to stop," said Day. "I'm just really proud of myself to be able to hang in there and grind it out."
Alex Prugh (71) and 2007 runner-up Charles Howell III (68) shared fifth place at minus-8. Jimmy Walker (73), 2009 winner Nick Watney (73), Martin Laird (69) and Shane Lowry (68) tied for seventh at 7-under-par 281.
Day, who was in the third to last group out, opened with eight consecutive pars. He rolled in a 9-footer for birdie at the ninth en route to making the turn at minus-8.
The Australian gave that right back as he 3-putted for bogey at the 10th. After four more pars, Day birdied the 15th before he poured in a 47-footer for birdie at the 16th.
Day parred the last two to join Stallings in the clubhouse at minus-9. At 18, Day thought his chip rolled into the pond in front of the green, but it stayed dry and he got up and down for par from there.
"I had a great save at 17 from a plugged lie in the bunker. Kind of getting the redemption from last year. Then, learning from my mistake on 18 and taking that into the playoff ... the hard work is paying off," Day explained.
Stallings, who was in the group ahead of Day, stumbled to a bogey at one. He birdied the sixth and ninth to get to 7-under. Stallings holed an eagle effort from 32 feet out on the 13th to jump to minus-9. He parred out to end there.
English and Holmes, who were in the last group together, both fell back early. English dropped shots at four and six, while Holmes bogeyed Nos. 2 and 4.
Holmes wrapped birdies at five and seven around a bogey on the sixth. He birdied the seventh and got back to even-par for his round with a birdie on the par-5 ninth. That gave him a piece of the lead with Jhonattan Vegas at minus-9.
Vegas was 2-under for his round through 11 holes, but a pair of double-bogeys at 12 and 17 dropped him into a share of 11th at minus-6
Holmes reclaimed the lead at 10-under with a 5-foot birdie putt at the 10th. He stayed there until the 14th, where he failed to get up and down for par. He was tied for the lead again with Stallings, Day and English.
English had bounced back to 9-under with birdies at 10 and 11. He also birdied the par-5 13th, but followed with a 3-putt bogey on the 14th. English made it two bogeys in a row as he found sand with his second at 15, and missed his 14- foot par effort.
Holmes closed his round with four pars in a row. He had a chance to win, but his 19-foot birdie chance at the last slid by the left edge. English got up and down for birdie from a greenside bunker at 18 to get into the extra session.
NOTES: Day collected $1.134 million for the win ... Day will move to No. 4 in the world rankings with the victory ... Stallings earned his first top-10 finish since he won this event last year ... The PGA Tour will head to the Monterey Peninsula next week as Jimmy Walker defends his title at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
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