Golf notes: Molinari edges Westwood

Francesco Molinari outlasted Lee Westwood in a spirited duel Sunday in Shanghai in the HSBC Champions for a one-shot victory to capture his first World Golf Championship.

Molinari closed with a 5-under 67 at Sheshan International for his first win this season. The Italian spoiled Westwood’s debut as the world’s No. 1 player, although the Englishman put up a fight worthy of his ranking. Two shots behind on the par-5 18th, Westwood had a 25-foot eagle putt to force a playoff, but it stayed left of the hole the entire way. He wound up with a 68.

Molinari finished at 19-under 269.

Scotland’s Richie Ramsay closed with a 71 to tie for third with England’s Luke Donald (73). Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy had a 67 for a European sweep of the top five spots.

Tiger Woods closed with a 68 and tied for sixth, 12 shots behind. It was only his third top 10 of the year and his best finish since a tie for fourth at the U.S. Open. For the first time in his career, he failed to win on the PGA Tour.

Champions Tour

John Cook successfully defended his title in the Champions Tour’s season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Harding Park in San Francisco, while Bernhard Langer took his first season points title.

Cook shot 4-under 67, holing a 15-foot par putt on the 18th hole to beat Michael Allen by two strokes.

Cook began the day a shot behind Allen, but birdied two of the first three holes to take the lead for good. Cook finished at 17 under for his fifth career victory on the 50-and-over tour.

Allen shot a 70 in the rainy, windy conditions that hampered his tee shots and forced the 2009 Senior PGA Championship winner to scramble most of the day.

Langer (69) tied for third with David Frost (71) at 12 under to wrap up the Schwab Cup points race and $1 million annuity. Fred Couples, the only player in position to catch Langer entering the tournament, closed with a 67 to tie for 10th at 9 under.

LPGA Tour

Top-ranked Jiyai Shin won the Mizuno Classic at Shima, Japan, for her second LPGA Tour victory of the season and eighth overall, closing with a 5-under 67 for a two-stroke victory over Yani Tseng.

Shin finished at 18 under. The South Korean star earned $180,000 to increase her season total to $1,779,768 and pull within $3,535 of leader Na Yeon Choi with two events left.

Tseng, from Taiwan, shot a 66.

Stacy Lewis (68) was third at 15 under, Miki Saiki (70) was 12 under, and Choi (68), Brittany Lincicome (65) and Mika Miyazato (68) followed at 11 under.

Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., shot a final-round 73 to finish at 217, 19 strokes behind the winner.