Potter fires true at Pebble
Ted Potter Jr. outplayed the world’s No. 1 player and held off everyone else yesterday to win the AT&T Pebble Beach National in Pebble Beach, Calif., for his first victory since a broken ankle nearly ended his career.
Potter holed a chip from behind the green for birdie on the par-3 seventh hole to build a 2-shot lead over Dustin Johnson, and no one got any closer the rest of the way. He finished with 11 straight pars for a 3-under-par 69 and a 3-shot victory over Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jason Day and Chez Reavie, who was runner-up for the second straight week.
Potter — who stepped off a curb in Canada in August 2014 and broke his ankle, keeping him out of golf for two years and then back to the minor leagues a year ago — finished at 17-under 270 and earned $1,332,000, nearly half of his career earnings going into the week. Potter, who came into the week at No. 246 in the world, gets a two-year PGA Tour exemption, and a trip back to the Masters for the first time in five years.
The other tournament also was a runaway. Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald teamed with Kevin Streelman to win the pro-am by 7 shots . . . .
Mark Calcavecchia took advantage of Bernhard Langer’s messy finish to complete a wire-to-wire victory in the PGA Tour Champions’ Boca Raton Championship in Boca Raton, Fla.
Calcavecchia had a 20-foot bogey save on the par-3 16th and parred the final two holes for a 2-under 70 to have a 16-under 200 total and a 2-stroke victory over Langer on The Old Course at Broken Sound for his fourth senior title, and first since 2015.
Fred Funk was third at 13-under after a 67. David Toms had a 67 to reach 12-under.
colts hire reich for top job
The Indianapolis Colts hired Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich as their new head coach. He is expected to be introduced at a news conference tomorrow.
The move comes five days after the Colts announced Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels would be their next coach, and then McDaniels backed out of the deal eight hours later.
Now, the Colts have hired the man who helped the Eagles outwit McDaniels in last week’s Super Bowl. Reich returns to the franchise where he started his coaching career as an intern in 2006 before becoming a full-time assistant in 2008.
Reich inherits a team that finished 4-12 last season, but if quarterback Andrew Luck is healthy, the Colts’ job might be one of the most attractive openings this offseason.
Brad Keselowski led a 1-2 Team Penske sweep in the exhibition The Clash at Daytona race that marks the opening of Speedweeks in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Joey Logano didn’t have enough help to mount a challenge on Keselowski on the final lap and had to settle for second.
The next chapter of Speedweeks is Thursday’s twin qualifying races, and finally the season-opening Daytona 500 next Sunday, which Keselowski has never won but is the 7-to-1 oddson favorite heading into the race.
Misc.: u.s. wins in Fed cup
The United States dispatched the Netherlands in a Fed Cup quarterfinal in Asheville, N.C., but it wasn’t a happy return to the court for Serena Williams.
In her first competition since giving birth five months ago, she and sister Venus Williams lost 6-2, 6-3 to Lesley Kerkhove and Demi Schuurs. But the U.S. already had clinched a victory in the best-of-five event thanks to a pair of singles victories by Venus. The U.S. advanced to a World Group semifinal April 21-22 at France, which defeated Belgium 3-2 this weekend.
The clinching third point came yesterday when Venus won the final five games in a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Richel Hogenkamp . . . .
Lucas Pouille of France continued his hold over Richard Gasquet, beating him 7-6 (2), 6-4 for his fourth straight win over his countryman to win the Open Sud de France in Montpellier, France, for his fifth career ATP title . . . .
In the English Premier League, Liverpool won 2-0 at Southampton to trim the gap to second-placed Manchester United to two points with 11 games left. Striker Mohamed Salah set up Roberto Firmino before scoring his 22nd of the year.