Holmes outlasts Thomas on very long day at Riviera

LOS ANGELES >> J.B. Holmes rallied from a four-shot deficit in the final round and won a marathon finish Sunday in the Genesis Open for his first victory in three years and a trip back to the Masters.

Holmes closed with a 1-under 70, and that was enough to overcome Justin Thomas, who took 19 putts on the back nine at Riviera — three of them from 8 feet when he lost the lead for good — and shot 75.

“I knew it was going to be very difficult to shoot a low score,” Holmes said. “I needed some help from Justin.”

They played 34 holes because of a sevenhour rain delay at the start of the tournament Thursday, and that wasn’t even the worst of it. The final day featured a wild shift in weather, from sunshine in the morning to complete 16 holes of the third round, brief rain when they teed off in the final round and wicked wind that made it tough to hole putts.

There were three two-shot swings on the back nine, all because of putting. LPGA TOUR>> Nelly Korda won the Women’s Australian Open to add to her family’s impressive sports pedigree Down Under.

Her father, Petr Korda, won his lone Grand Slam tennis title in the 1998 Australian Open. Her older sister, Jessica Korda, won the Women’s Australian Open seven years ago. Her brother, Sebastian, won the Australian Open boys’ singles title last year.

Korda, who went into the final round at The Grange Club with a three-shot lead, stretched it to as many as five. She shot a 5-under 67 and finished at 17-under 271 for a two-shot victory over defending champion Jin Young Ko, who shot a 64. PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS >> Miguel Angel Jimenez won the Chubb Classic for his seventh PGA Tour Champions title, beating Bernhard Langer and Olin Browne with a 5-foot par putt on the first hole of a playoff.