Leishman picks up win at BMW Championship

Staked to a five-shot lead, Mark Leishman made backto-back birdies late in the final round Sunday to put away the final challenge and win the BMW Championship.

Given another opportunity to win, Marc Leishman didn’t give anyone much of a chance in the BMW Championship in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Staked to a five-shot lead, Leishman made back-toback birdies late in the final round Sunday to put away the final challenge, then closed with a birdie for a 4-under 67 to set the tournament record and win by five over Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler.

It was Leishman’s second victory this year, and it sends him to East Lake as the No. 4 seed in the FedEx Cup, giving him a clear shot at the $10 million prize.

Leishman finished at 23-under 261, breaking the 72-hole tournament record that Tiger Woods set at Cog Hill in 2007.

The timing could not have been better for the 33-year-old Australian. In his last event two weeks ago, he lost a two-shot lead on the back nine at the TPC Boston and said that loss stung more than most.

“I had a few scars from a few weeks ago,” Leishman said. “I was just really, really determined to not let that happen again. Got it done.”

And it was never really close.

Rose is the only player who got within two shots of the lead, only for Leishman to answer with a 30-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole and a 10-footer for birdie on the 16th. Rose closed with a 65.

Fowler made a late run when he was too far back, and he needed one more birdie on the 18th to grab the No. 5 seed for the FedEx Cup finale next week at the Tour Championship. He ripped driver off the fairway and over the stream to the back rough. It was a bold play that preceded a pair of meager efforts — a chip that came up 25 feet short, and a birdie putt that didn’t to the hole. He closed with a 67.

Jon Rahm birdied four of his last five holes for a 67 and will be the No. 5 seed.

Jordan Spieth shot 65 to tie for seventh and kept the No. 1 seed, followed by Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Leishman and Rahm. The points are reset to give all 30 players at East Lake a mathematical chance, but the top five seeds only have to win the Tour Championship to capture the FedEx Cup.

Nordqvist wins

Anna Nordqvist beat unheralded American Brittany Altomare in a playoff under driving rain and hail at the first extra hole to win the Evian Championship in Evian-Les-Bains, France.

Nordqvist sank a 4-foot putt for bogey 5 on the soaked 18th hole while 102nd-ranked Altomare had a six.

The 30-year-old Swede earned $547,500 for winning her first major since the 2009 LPGA Championship.

Altomare got $340,000 for only her second career top-10 finish.