Sports Briefs July 26, 2010
Bernhard Langer won his first senior major title on Sunday, holding off a final-round challenge from Corey Pavin for a one-stroke win in the Senior British Open in Carnoustie, Scotland.
The German shot a 1-over 72 at Carnoustie to finish at 5-under 279. Pavin ended with a 1-under 70.
"I have always wanted to win the British Open," Langer said. "I didn't. Now this is the next best thing."
Pavin, the American Ryder Cup captain, trailed by three shots at the start of the fourth round but cut the gap to two when he birdied his second hole of the day.
Langer survived three-putting both the 8th and 9th greens. After making birdie at 15, he parred his way to his 11th win in three years on the Champions Tour.
• Carl Pettersson rallied to win the Canadian Open in Toronto for his fourth PGA Tour victory, closing with a 3-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over Dean Wilson.
Pettersson, who set a tournament record with a 10-under 60 in the third round, finished at 14-under 266 at hilly, tree-lined St. George's.
The 40-year-old Wilson, playing on a sponsor exemption, shot a 72 after opening with three straight 65s to take a four-stroke lead into the final day.
• Jiyai Shin of South Korea birdied the 18th hole to win the Evian Masters in Evian-Les-Bains, France, shooting a 5-under 67 to finish at 14 under and one stroke ahead of Morgan Pressel, Na Yeon Choi and Alexis Thompson.
Shin's fifth birdie in the final round took her one stroke clear of overnight leader Pressel, whose putt to force a playoff then rolled agonizingly close to the hole.
Pressel, who started the final round two strokes clear, walked over and hugged Shin after missing her putt.
Hydroplane Racing
Dave Villwock was the first to cross the official finish line in the Columbia Cup unlimited hydroplane race in Kennewick, Wash., but the win went to rival Steve David because of a penalty.
Villwock was driving Spirit of Qatar toward victory when David, driver of Oh Boy! Oberto, made a final charge on the last turn of the winner-take-all final heat.
Villwock moved into Oberto's lane and race officials assessed a one-lap penalty for the violation, handing the win to David.
By the time Villwock completed the penalty lap, he was in fifth place.
Football
Conference USA is back to using the personal touch.
A year after switching to video as a cost-saving move for the league's annual football media day, 11 of Conference USA's 12 coaches gathered in Memphis to preview the upcoming season. All 12 remain in the league after being ignored in all the realignment shake-up of the Football Bowl Subdivision, even though UCF and Memphis still would like to jump given the chance.
Houston coach Kevin Sumlin has the league's preseason offensive player of the year and an early Heisman Trophy candidate in Case Keenum. Getting as much exposure for Houston and the Cougars' players helped trump the need for cost-containment.
Tennis
Mardy Fish won his second straight tournament and 10th straight match, beating John Isner 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) in the finals of the Atlanta Tennis Championships in Atlanta.
• Anna Chakvetadze beat Johanna Larsson 6-1, 6-2 in the Slovenia Open final in Portoroz, Slovenia, to win her eighth WTA Tour title.
• Julia Goerges of Germany won her first WTA Tour title in her first final, beating Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky 6-1, 6-4 in the Gastein Ladies at Bad Gastein, Austria.
Auto Racing
Fernando Alonso won the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim, Germany, for Ferrari, but the team was fined $100,000 afterward for orchestrating his pass of teammate Felipe Massa.
Race stewards didn't overturn Ferrari's 1-2 finish, choosing to send the case to the sport's governing body, which could impose more sanctions. Team orders that affect the result of a race are forbidden under Formula One rules.
Sebastian Vettel of Germany was third in his Red Bull. Championship leader Lewis Hamilton of McLaren was fourth.
- The Associated Press