Poulter wins, gets Masters invitation
Down to his last putt, Ian Poulter made a 20-foot birdie on the 18th hole to force a playoff with Beau Hossler, and then won the Houston Open on Sunday with a par on the first extra hole to earn the last spot in the Masters.
“I had to dig deep today,” said Poulter, who closed with a 5-under 67 and finished at 19-under 269, along with Hossler, who also shot a 67.
Hossler overcame a three-shot deficit with four straight birdies on the back nine and had a chance to win on the 18th in regulation with a 30-foot birdie putt that trickled over the right edge of the cup.
That set the stage for Poulter, and the 42-yearold from England delivered his biggest putt in years and pounded his chest five times when the ball rolled in the cup.
In the sudden-death playoff on the 18th, Hossler hit his approach shot into a greenside bunker and his third shot over the green and into the water.
Poulter was safely on the green as Hossler took his penalty drop, chipped onto the green and took two putts for a triple bogey.
Poulter won for the third time on the PGA Tour and for the first time in America since the Match Play in 2010 in Arizona.
PLAYOFF EXTENDED AT ANA INSPIRATION >> Inbee Park and Pernilla Lindberg played until it was too dark to see Sunday night and still couldn’t decide the ANA Inspiration.
They’ll return to Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage this morning for the fifth extra hole in the LPGA Tour’s first major championship of the season.
Jennifer Song dropped out with a par on the third playoff hole, and Park and Lindberg decided to take one more trip down the par-5 18th in fading light.
With portable lights and the scoreboard helping illuminate the green, Park made a 6-foot par putt and Lindberg made a short putt to match. They finished at 7:21 p.m., 15 minutes after sunset.
Play will resume at 8 a.m. on the par-4 10th hole in the first Monday finish in tournament history.
Tennis
ISNER WINS MIAMI OPEN TITLE >> John Isner won the biggest title of his 14-year career by rallying past Alexander Zverev in the Miami Open final, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4.
Seeded 14th, Isner became the first American man to win the tournament since Andy Roddick in 2010. He joined Sloane Stephens, who won the women’s title Saturday, for the first U.S. sweep in the event since 2004, when the champions were Roddick and Serena Williams.
The 32-year-old Isner previously had been 0-3 in ATP Masters 1000 finals.
“You can’t replicate moments like this,” Isner said during the trophy ceremony. “I’m toward the latter part of my career; this is the best moment of my career.”
NFL
CHARGERS SIGN QB TO ONEYEAR DEAL >> Geno Smith has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. Terms were not disclosed.
Smith will likely join former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones in backing up Phillip Rivers.
Smith played four seasons with the New York Jets after going 39th overall in the 2013 draft, then spent last season with the New York Giants. He has appeared in 35 games, including 31 starts, and thrown for 6,174 yards with 29 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 659 yards and seven TDs.
MMA
HOLLOWAY STEPS IN FOR TITLE FIGHT >> Max Holloway will attempt to become a two-division UFC champion when he steps in for injured Tony Ferguson at UFC 223 in Brooklyn on Saturday.
Holloway (19-3) will fight Khabib Nurmagomedov (25-0) for the UFC lightweight title in the main event at Barclays Center, the UFC announced Sunday.
Holloway already holds the 145-pound featherweight belt, and he will move up to 155 pounds on short notice.
Holloway will attempt to become the youngest fighter ever to hold two UFC titles, and only the second to hold both belts simultaneously.