LA QUINTA, California (Reuters) - Americans Charles Howell III, Brian Gay and Swede David Lingmerth took the Humana Challenge into a sudden-death playoff on the hosting Palmer Private course at PGA West on Sunday.

The trio finished the 72 regulation holes on 25-under-par 263, Howell signing off with an eight-under 64, Gay carding a 63 and PGA Tour rookie 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.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Patrick Johnston)