Mickelson earns win, Langer points title
Phil Mickelson birdied three of the final four holes to win the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, and Bernhard Langer held on to win his sixth PGA Tour Champions season points title.
Mickelson shot a six-under-par 65 at Phoenix Country Club to finish at 19 under for a one-stroke victory. He joined Jack Nicklaus as the only player to win four of his first six PGA Tour Champions starts.
A duel between Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson turned into a meltdown by both. Korda recovered and won a playoff at the Pelican Women’s Championship in Belleair, Fla.
Korda, who shot a one-under 69 to finish at 17 under, won for the fourth time this year on the LPGA Tour. She overcame a triple bogey on No. 17 and won in a playoff that also included Thompson (69), defending champion Sei Young Kim (67) and Lydia Ko (66).
Korda ended it quickly with a second birdie on the 18th hole. She secured the No. 1 spot in the world ranking.
Jason Kokrak shot a five-under 65 to pick up a two-shot victory in the PGA Tour’s Houston Open. He finished at 10-under 270. … On the European Tour, Joachim B. Hansen closed with a fourunder 68 to win the Dubai Championship by one and qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship . ... Jon Rahm pulled out of the DP World Tour Championship.
The host Charlotte Hornets won 106102 to end the Golden State Warriors’ winning streak at seven. … Atlanta Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter will undergo surgery for a right wrist injury and be out of the lineup for about two months.
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored in the 90th minute as Serbia stunned host Portugal with a 2-1 win to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Qatar. Now Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo will have to face the playoffs in March . ... Alvaro Morata scored late as host Spain beat Sweden 1-0 to qualify for the World Cup . ... Croatia needed a late own-goal to reach the World Cup with a 1-0 win over visiting Russia.
Defender James Sands of New York City FC was added to the U.S. roster for Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier at Jamaica. The U.S. will be without defender Miles Robinson and midfielder Weston McKennie because of one-game suspensions . ... Katie Johnson and Sarah Woldmoe each scored, and the visiting Chicago Red Stars advanced to the National Women’s Soccer League title game with a 2-0 semifinal victory over the Portland Thorns. … The Washington Spirit earned a 2-1 semifinal win over OL Reign in Tacoma, Wash. Washington and Chicago will play for the title Saturday in Louisville, Ky.
Lewis Hamilton won the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo and gained momentum in his Formula One title fight with Max Verstappen. Verstappen placed second and leads Hamilton by 14 points with three races left.
WTA chairman and chief executive Steve Simon called for a full investigation of sexual assault allegations made by Peng Shuai, a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion from China, against a former top government official in that country. … Garbine Muguruza ended Anett Kontaveit’s 12-match winning streak with a 6-4, 6-4 victory that propelled her into the semifinals at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara, Mexico . ... Daniil Medvedev won 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 over Hubert Hurkacz in the opening match of the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy. Later, Alexander Zverev won when Matteo Berrettini retired in the second set because of an apparent abdominal injury.
Messier overpowered a small field of 2-year-old rivals to win the $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes by 31⁄2 lengths at Del Mar for trainer Bob Baffert. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Messier ran seven furlongs in 1:22.74 . ... Center Nic Dowd signed a three-year, $3.9-million extension with the Washington Capitals.