Sullivan earns emotional win
WARE, England — An emotional Andy Sullivan ended a wait of almost five years for his fourth European Tour title as he recorded a seven-shot victory Sunday at the English Championship.
After heading into the final round at Hanbury Manor with a five-shot advantage, the 33-year-old Englishman’s lead shrank to just two as Spain’s Adrian Otaegui moved into contention.
But while his challenger faltered over the closing stages on the way to a 5-underpar 66, Sullivan — who had an eagle on his second hole — recorded four birdies on the back nine to shoot a 65 and finish at 27-under 257 overall.
The victory was his first on the European Tour since the 2015 Portugal Masters and his first since the birth of his son and the deaths of both his 24-year-old brother-in-law as well as a close friend. Tears flowed as Sullivan was greeted by his family via video on a laptop set up off the 18th green after he finished the round.
“It means a lot to do that for them,” Sullivan said of his brother-in-law and friend. “It’s just nice for my family, to win for my little boy who’s only 2 years old. It’s just nice for him to see Daddy being successful. He hasn’t quite seen that.”
Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard (64) was third at 19 under.
Ko falters, Kang triumphs
SYLVANIA, Ohio — Five shots behind with six holes to play, Danielle Kang won for the second straight week in the LPGA Tour’s return to competition when Lydia Ko made a double bogey on the final hole in the Marathon Classic.
The 27-year-old American began her rally with consecutive birdies on the 13th and 14th holes at Highland Meadows Golf Club, and then all she needed were pars the rest of the way for a 3-under 68, all because of Ko’s shocking collapse.
Ko, a 21-time winner on the LPGA Tour and a former world No. 1, was poised to end two years and 44 tournaments without a victory. The 23-year-old South Korean made a bogey on the 14th hole, and with Kang’s birdies, the lead suddenly was down to two. Ko dropped another shot on the 16th, then caught a break when Kang was in position for birdie on the par-5 17th and had to settle for a par.
On the closing par 5, though, Ko fell apart as she missed the putt that would have forced a playoff and wound up with a 73.
Kang, who finished at 15-under 269, earned her fifth LPGA Tour win seven days after her fourth, the LPGA Drive On Championship at nearby Inverness Club in Toledo. England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff (67) shared second with Ko, and they were one shot ahead of Australia’s Minjee Lee (68), who finished eagle-birdie.
American teen goes distance
ROCKVILLE, Md. — California teenager Rose Zhang won the longest U.S. Women’s Amateur title match in 54 years, denying Gabriela Ruffels a repeat victory when the 20-year-old Australian missed a three-foot par putt on the 38th hole.
Neither player led by more than 2 up the entire 36-hole match, and they halved the last five holes of regulation with pars to force extra holes for the first time since 2001.
The 17-year-old Zhang, who has committed to play at Stanford, sent it to overtime with a clutch flop-and-run shot from the rough about 40 yards away on the 18th hole at Woodmont Country Club to tap-in range.
On the first extra hole, Zhang missed a 12-foot putt for the win. On the 38th hole, Ruffels went just beyond the green from the rough and hit a good pitch that put the ball about three feet from the cup. Zhang missed her birdie putt, and then Ruffels’ par putt to extend the match spun around the cup.
Ruffels, who plays for the University of Southern California, was trying to become the first back-to-back winner of this United States Golf Association event since Kang in 2011.