Tiger ties Snead’s PGA Tour record with 82nd victory
Tiger Woods shrugged off an early bogey to win the Zozo Championship in Inzai City, Japan, and tie Sam Snead’s PGA Tour record of 82 victories.
The 43-year-old Woods returned today to play the final seven holes in the rain-hit tournament, completing a 3-under 67 to beat local favorite Hideki Matsuyama by three strokes at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club.
“It’s just crazy. It’s a lot,” Woods said. “I’ve been able to be consistent most of my career . ... Today was one of those days where I was able to pull it out.”
Woods had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee two months ago — his fifth on the same problem joint. He was making his first start in his 23rd season on the PGA Tour.
“I can still manage my way around the golf course,” Woods said. “I know how to play. I was able to do that this week.”
The fourth round was suspended because of darkness Sunday, and Woods took a three-stroke lead over Matsuyama into today in the first official PGA Tour event in Japan.
He bogeyed his first hole of the day, the par-4 12th, but was solid the rest of the way with birdies on Nos. 14 and 18 to finish at 19-under 261. Matsuyama also closed with a 67
Rory McIlroy, the highest ranked player in the field, completed his round with two birdies for a 67 to tie for third at 13 under with Sungjae Im. Im had a 65.
JANG TAKES LPGA EVENT IN PLAYOFF >> South Korea’s Ha Na Jang won the BMW Ladies Championship in Busan, South Korea, beating American Danielle Kang on the first hole of a playoff for her fifth LPGA Tour victory.
After matching Kang with pars on the par-4 18th on the first two extra holes, Jang hit a 95-yard approach to 4 feet on the par-4 10th to set up the winning birdie.
Jang shot a 7-under 65 to match Kang at 19-under 269 at LPGA Busan International. Kang had a 64.
Motorsports
TRUEX JR. ROARS TO CUP VICTORY >> Martin Truex Jr. earned a spot in NASCAR’s championship race for the third consecutive year with a dominating win at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
Truex led 464 of the 500 laps in becoming the first driver to claim a spot in the Nov. 17 title-race at HomesteadMiami Speedway. It marked the most laps led by a winner since Kyle Petty led 484 laps in 1992 at Rockingham.
There were just three lead changes, and Truex controlled the event from the first round of pit stops, when he beat Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin back onto the track for the lead. He was hardly challenged at all and his Toyota coasted to his first career win at NASCAR’s shortest track.
“We’re going to Homestead again and that was what we tried to accomplish this weekend,” Truex said. “We don’t have to worry about points anymore. We can just get to work on our Homestead car.”
Martinsville marked the first of three races in the round of eight of the playoffs, and three more drivers still need to qualify for Homestead. The next two rounds will be must-win situations for Chase Elliott, who suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure and finished 36th in the 38-car field.
For Truex, the win was redemption from a year ago at Martinsville when he raced Joey Logano cleanly over the closing laps and Logano snatched the win away from Truex. Logano then won the championship.
William Byron and Brad Keselowski, both already eliminated from the playoffs, finished second and third. Hamlin was fourth, followed by Ryan Blaney, another playoff contender.
Kurt Busch, eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, was sixth and followed by title contenders Kevin Harvick, Logano and Kyle Larson.
College football
LSU LEAPS OVER ALABAMA INTO NO. 1 SPOT >> The No. 1 vs. No. 2 game between Alabama and LSU in two weeks looks set, though the order of the Crimson Tide and Tigers changed in the AP Top 25 in one of the closest votes ever.
Heading into an off date for both teams, LSU flip-flopped with Alabama to become the new No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll. The Tigers received 1,476 points, two more than Alabama, for the closest margin between 1 and 2 since No. 1 Florida State was two points ahead of Auburn on Oct. 5, 2014.
No. 3 Ohio State was not far behind with 1,468 points. Eight points separating first from third is the fewest during a regular-season poll since the current point system went into place in 1978.
Alabama received the most firstplace votes this week with 21. LSU and Ohio State both got 17 first-place votes. CAL BLANKED BY UTES >> Zack Moss ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns, breaking two more school rushing records as then-No. 12 Utah routed visiting Cal 35-0 on Saturday night.
After becoming Utah’s career leader in yards rushing a week earlier, Moss increased his total to 33 touchdowns on the ground and surpassed Del Rodgers, who set the previous mark of 31 from 1978-81. Moss also reached 100 yards rushing for the 15th time, breaking the school record he had shared with Devontae Booker and John White IV.
Cal’s defense had held 14 consecutive opponents under 25 points, the longest active streak in the country.
It took Utah (7-1, 4-1 Pac-12) just a half to snap that streak. The Utes rolled to 351 yards and 28 points in the first half while allowing just 33 yards to the Bears (4-4, 1-4 Pac-12).
Tyler Huntley threw for 214 yards and a touchdown on 11-for-17 passing before sitting out the second half and resting his injured lower left leg.
Cal has lost four in a row after starting 4-0 and reaching No. 15 in The Associated Press poll.
OREGON AVOIDS UPSET WITH LATE KICK >> True freshman Camden Lewis kicked a 26-yard field goal as time expired and Oregon extended its winning streak to seven games with a 37-35 Pac-12 victory over Washington State late Saturday night.
CJ Verdell ran for a career-high 257 yards and three touchdowns for the Ducks (7-1, 5-0 Pac-12).
Anthony Gordon’s 5-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to Brandon Arconado with a minute remaining gave the Cougars (4-4, 1-4) a 35-34 lead. But Justin Herbert completed four straight passes on the ensuing drive to get the Ducks close for Lewis’ kick.
NHL
BLUES EDGE RED WINGS >> The defending champion St. Louis Blues got off to a good start, struggled in the middle and finished strong.
David Perron scored at 1:28 of overtime to give St. Louis a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
The Blues blew a two-goal lead in the third period and needed Ryan O’Reilly’s late goal to send it to overtime.
Tennis
FEDERER DOMINATES SWISS TOURNEY >> Roger Federer won his hometown Swiss Indoors title for the 10th time by beating Alex de Minaur 6-2, 6-2 in Basel, Switzerland.
Federer put on a clinic in his first match against the 20-year-old Australian.
Federer’s 10th Basel title was one of his most efficient. He did not drop a set in four matches played, and was never pushed to a tiebreaker.
Sunday’s final took just 68 minutes.