Steele wins again at PGA opener

Brendan Steele rallied to successfully defend his Safeway Open title, closing with a three-under-par 69 on Sunday for a two-stroke victory over Tony Finau in the PGA Tour season opener. Phil Mickelson and Chesson Hadley finished three shots behind. Steele, two strokes behind surprising leader Tyler Duncan entering the day at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, birdied the par-five 16th and 18th holes — holing a three-footer on 18. He finished at 14-under 273 for his third PGA Tour title.

“I’m getting pretty spoiled winning the first event of the year twice,” said Steele, the 34-year-old from Idyllwild. “This place is so great to me. I feel so comfortable here and it’s been a great run.”

Mickelson, who began the round four shots off the lead, birdied the 16th from 10 feet to move within one shot of Steele. But Mickelson, winless since the 2013 British Open, bogeyed the 17th before birdieing the 18th for a 70. It was Mickelson’s 27th third-place finish in 27 PGA Tour seasons.

“It’s just keep playing to keep giving myself chances,” Mickelson said about his winless PGA Tour streak of 91 tournaments. “It will happen.”

Tyrrell Hatton retained his title at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship after a final round in which Ross Fisher shot a course-record 61 at Scotland’s St. Andrews . ... Cristie Kerr completed a wire-to-wire victory in the Lacoste Ladies Open de France for her first Ladies European Tour title.