Four players parred the first hole of sudden death before darkness stopped play on Sunday to leave the Honda Classic on hold.
Unheralded Boo Weekley bogeyed the final hole of regulation to fall into the playoff with Colombian Camilo Villegas, Argentina's Jose Coceres and third-round leader Mark Wilson.
All four parred the first playoff hole - the par-five 18th - and were to return to continue the battle at the PGA National Resort and Spa on Monday morning.
Had Weekley managed to par 18 in regulation, he would have earned his first career PGA Tour win, 990,000 US dollars and a coveted two-year tour exemption.
"The nerves just got me on 18," said Weekley, who finished a career best sixth in Mexico last week. "It has been a long time since I've been in contention. The nerves just got me."
A member of the Nationwide Tour the last four years, Weekley began the day one shot behind Wilson.
He followed all four of his birdies with eventual bogeys, including one at the last hole for a round of par 70 and a total of five-under 275.
Wilson, who has made 10 trips to Q-School, still held the lead at the turn as he overcame a double-bogey six at the sixth hole with three birdies.
But he dropped into a tie for the lead when he bogeyed the par-4 11th and also bogeyed the par-3 15th to post a 71.
"My golf swing felt a little out of sorts," Wilson said. "Hit some bad shots coming in, but the putter bailed me out."
Villegas fired a 4-under 66 that included birdies on the 16th and 17th. He was the only member of the quartet to avoid a bogey on the back nine.
The 25-year-old long hitter from Colombia finished a surprising third at last year's Players Championship and had runner-up finishes at the FBR Open and Ford Championship, although he has yet to break through for a victory.
"I can only control what I do, and that's what I'm going to do tomorrow," Villegas said.
Coceres also shot a 66 but did most of his damage early, climbing into contention by birdying the first five holes. That streak ended with a bogey and he also bogeyed No. 14 on a quiet back nine.
Coceres has had playoff success before, the first of his two US victories coming in a five-hole playoff at the 2001 WorldCom Classic.
Early on the back nine, Wilson was caught by Australian veteran Robert Allenby, who had four birdies on the front nine.
But Allenby, who has four US victories in his career, couldn't cash in on his huge edge in experience as he bogeyed 15 and 16 en route to a 68 that dropped him back to 276, tied with Steve Stricker (69) and Tripp Isenhour (67).