Sports Briefs June 14, 2010
Golf
Lee Westwood won the St. Jude Classic for his second career PGA Tour victory and first since 1998, beating Swede Robert Karlsson on the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff Sunday in Memphis, Tenn.
The Englishman became the first European to win the tour's third-longest event only after Robert Garrigus blew a three-stroke lead on the final hole of regulation with a triple bogey. He bogeyed the first playoff hole.
Westwood, who went 17 straight holes between birdies, rolled in a 6-footer for his first PGA win since New Orleans. He dropped his putter and celebrated with a fist bump.
• The weather-plagued LPGA State Farm Classic at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Ill., was delayed again, with the final round being pushed back until today.
Cristie Kerr and Anna Nordqvist held the tournament lead at 20 under. Na On Min, Jee Young Lee, Katie Futcher, Gwladys Nocera and Na Yeon Choi were three shots off the pace.
• Alexis Thompson, a 15-year-old from Coral Gables, Fla., and 18-year-old Jennifer Johnson of La Quinta, Calif., both got off to huge early leads in their singles matches and the U.S went on to win the Curtis Cup 12.5-7.5, at Manchester-By-The-Sea, Mass.
The Americans needed only two of eight points in the singles to retain the cup after sweeping all six fourball and foursome matches Saturday to take a commanding 8.5-3.5 lead.
The U.S. now leads the series 27-6-3 and has won seven straight matches.
Basketball
The Atlanta Hawks have officially named Larry Drew as their new head coach.
The Hawks made the announcement two days after The Associated Press and several other news organizations reported the team was closing in on an agreement with Mike Woodson's top assistant. This is Drew's first head coaching job.
Woodson coached the Hawks for six seasons but was fired last month after a second-round sweep by the Orlando Magic.
Soccer
Germany scored two goals in each half and Tim Cahill was sent off as three-time champion Germany beat Australia 4-0 in Durgan, South Africa, in Group D of the World Cup.
Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose scored in the first 30 minutes.
Slovenia 1, Algeria 0: Robert Koren scored a late goal to lift Slovenia over 10-man Algeria and first place in Group C in Polokwane, South Africa, ahead of the United States and England.
The Slovenian captain struck a long-range shot that Algeria goalkeeper Fawzi Chaouchi misjudged and allowed to bounce into the net off his arm in the 79th minute.
Ghana 1, Serbia 0: Ghana stunned Serbia when Asamoah Gyan scored on an 84th-minute penalty kick in Pretoria, South Africa, in Group D. The win set off celebrations not only on the Loftus Versfeld pitch, but throughout Ghana.
Football
Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young received a misdemeanor assault citation after getting into a fight at a Dallas strip club and leaving before authorities arrived early Sunday, police said.
Young was in Coeur d'Alene this past week, where he participated in the Michael Roos Foundation's Fish and Chip Tournament.
Boxing
Boxer Danny "Little Red" Lopez and writer Ed Schuyler jr. were among 13 men inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y., capping their impressive careers.
Other living inductees were: light flyweight champ Jung-Koo Chang, the first South Korean boxer to make the Hall of Fame; manager Shelly Finkel; referee and commissioner Larry Hazzard; German promoter Wilfried Sauerland; and matchmaker Bruce Trampler.
Posthumous honorees were: light heavyweight Lloyd Marshall; featherweight champion Young Corbett II; lightweight champion Rocky Kansas; heavyweight contender Billy Miske; Paddington Tom Jones, whose 20-year career began in 1786; and broadcaster Howard Cosell.
- The Associated Press