Kerr wins rain- delayed State Farm Classic
Golf: Cristie Kerr has won the rain-delayed LPGA State Farm Classic by one shot over Anna Nordqvist and Na Yeon Choi in Springfield, Ill.
The final round of the event was played Monday due to weekend rains interrupting play. K err fought off flulike symptoms and late challenges from Nordqvist and Choi, shooting a 3-under 69 in the final round to finish at 22-under 266 at Panther Creek Country Club.
Kerr had a two-shot lead heading to the final hole, so a bogey on the final hole gave her the one-shot victory. It’s her second State Farm Classic win, and she becomes the first American to win on the LPGA tour since Michelle Wie won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational last November.
•Mickelson gets best chance yet at No. 1: Masters champion Phil Mickelson has another chance to replace Tiger Woods at No. 1 in the world this week at the U.S. Open, and this might be his best chance yet.
Mickelson can reach No. 1 for the first time in his career by winning at Pebble Beach. But there are more scenarios in Mickelson’s favor.
He would go to No. 1 by finishing runner-up as long as Woods finishes out of the top four. Mickelson could finish third at the U.S. Open and go to No. 1 if Woods were to finish out of the top 18.
If Woods misses the cut, Mickelson would need no worse than a two-way tie for third.
Woods has been No. 1 for the last five years.
Freshmen lead Clemson past ’Bama
College Baseball: Richie Shaffer hit two home runs, fellow freshman Dominic Leone pitched 5
Clemson (43-23) won the third and deciding game of the NCAA Clemson Super Regional after almost squandering a seven-run lead in the final inning. Alabama (42-25) scored five runs in the ninth. But with the tying run at second base, Jake Smith flied out to end the game.
• Shore, Reine carry Oklahoma past Virginia, 11-0: Bobby Shore pitched four-hit ball for eight innings, Cody Reine hit two three-run homers and Oklahoma pounded Virginia 11-0 to earn its first trip to the College World Series in 15 years.
Reine, who also homered twice Sunday, went deep in the first and eighth innings. The Sooners (49-16) also got solo shots from Cameron Seitzer and Tyler Ogle.
Jets’ Revis sits out some plays in protest
NFL: New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis has sat out some plays in practice in protest of his stalled contract negotiations after initially telling coaches he was “lightheaded.”
Revis is due to make $1 million in the fourth season of his six-year deal, and wants to be the league’s highest-paid cornerback.
• 4 NFL coaches to visit troops in Persian Gulf: Brad Childress, John Fox, Marvin Lewis and Andy Reid will visit troops in the Persian Gulf this summer on a USO Tour.
Tom Coughlin of the Giants, Jeff Fisher of the Titans, John Harbaugh of the Ravens and former Steelers coach Bill Cowher and ex-Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden traveled to Iraq last year.
Henin returns to grass with win
Tennis: Top-seeded Justine Henin has made a successful return to grass after a three-year absence by beating Germany’s Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of the Unicef Open.
Henin, whose last match on the surface was a loss in the 2007 Wimbledon semifinals, was a comfortable winner over Kerber.
• Stosur beats Oudin at Eastbourne: Australia’s Samantha Stosur, coming off a loss in the French Open final to Francesca Schiavone, defeated Melanie Oudin 6-4, 6-4 at the Aegon International.
Schleck wins third stage in Switzerland
Cycling: Frank Schleck of Luxembourg led a late breakaway to win the third stage of the Tour of Switzerland, while Lance Armstrong gained ground in the standings.
Schleck triumphed by breaking away in the last 200 yards of a climb and then held on over the final 1,100 yards to the finish.
• Armstrong’s RadioShack unhappy at Vuelta snub: Lance Armstrong’s RadioShack team complained of unfair treatment after being refused an invitation to the Spanish Vuelta.
The Vuelta organizers announced the 22 teams that will compete in this year’s race. Sixteen teams were preselected under an agreement between race organizers and the International Cycling Union (UCI).
Dixon takes Top Fuel title at Raceway Park
Miscellany: Larry Dixon raced to his sixth Top Fuel victory of the season at the rain-delayed NHRA SuperNationals.
Dixon drove his dragster to a 3.824-second run at 320.05 mph for his 54th career victory, beating Antron Brown, who finished second for the second straight year.
•Blanchard tops barrel racing after one round: Sydni Blanchard of Mesalands College in New Mexico overcame soreness from a hard fall from her horse to win the first round of barrel racing at the College National Finals Rodeo.