Laird breaks long drought with playoff win in Vegas
Martin Laird sank a birdie putt on the second playoff hole to win the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas on Sunday, the Scot’s fourth PGA Tour title and first since 2013.
With sunlight fading at TPC Summerlin, the 37-year- old rolled in a tricky 12-footer to beat Austin Cook (66) and Matthew Wolff (66).
“It’s been a while,” said Laird, who had knee surgery five months ago.
“Seven years since my last one. I’m feeling now that my game is as good as it has been. I’ve been playing well the last few weeks, I just haven’t had results. I love it here. I’m going to really enjoy this one.”
Laird, who also won the tournament in 2009, had a chance to win in regulation but bogeyed the par- 4 18th when his putt stopped just shy of the hole, leaving him in a threeway tie with Wolff and Cook at 23-under 261.
All three players parred the 18th, the first extra hole, before Cook and Wolff’s birdie putts missed on the par- 3 17th, opening the door for Laird.
SEI YOUNG KIMWINS FIRSTMAJOR >> Sei Young Kim shot a sensational 7-under 63 to earn her first major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
The 27-year- old South Korean finished at 14-under 266 at Aronimink Golf Course in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Kim had 10 wins entering the tournament, which made her the winningest active player without a major championship.
Her 63 was the best round of the tournament. She finished five shots ahead of Inbee Park (65).
HATTON PREVAILS AT BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP >> Tyrrell Hatton held off a final-round challenge by Victor Perez to win the BMW PGA Championship by four strokes, giving the English player a first victory on home soil. Hatton shot 5-under 67 to finish on 19-under 269 overall, capping a week when he shot in the 60s every round around Wentworth’s storied West Course outside London in Virginia Water, England.
It is Hatton’s third victory at a Rolex Series event.
ELS GRABS SECOND CHAMPIONS TITLE >> Ernie Els birdied the final two holes, running in a 30-footer in the rain on the last, for a 6-under 66 and a one-stroke victory over Colin Montgomerie in the SAS Championship in Cary, North Carolina.
Jim Furyk missed a chance to become the first player to win his first three PGA Tour Champions events, closing with a 70 to tie for ninth at 8 under — four strokes behind. Els finished
at 12-under 204.
Motorsports
GOOD DAY FOR ELLIOTT, BUT CHAMP BUSCH BOUNCED >> NASCAR will crown a new champion this year following Kyle Busch’s elimination in the second round of the playoffs.
Chase Elliott won on the hybrid road course-oval at Charlotte (North Carolina) Motor Speedway, where four drivers, including Busch, were trimmed from title contention.
Busch failed to advance to the final four championship finale for the first time since 2015.
Austin Dillon in a Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing, and StewartHaas Racing teammates Clint Bowyer and Aric Almirola in Fords also were eliminated.
Elliott, meanwhile, won for the second consecutive year at “The Roval” and extended his winning streak on road courses to four straight dating to last season. Elliott advanced along with Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch, who won the first two races of the second round, along with Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano and Alex Bowman.
HAMILTON WINS HIS 91ST F1 RACE TO MATCH SCHUMACHER’S RECORD >> Lewis Hamilton matched Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 wins in Formula One with victory in the Eifel Grand Prix as he took another stride toward his seventh championship title.
Hamilton started behind his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas but took the lead when the Finn ran wide on lap 13. Bottas retired with a car problem five laps later. Hamilton comfortably held off Max Verstappen in the Red Bull after a safety car bunched up the pack late in the
race in Nürburg, Germany.
Hamilton took the win by nearly five seconds from Verstappen, with third for Daniel Ricciardo. Hamilton now leads Bottas by 69 points with six races to go. Winning the title would bring Hamilton level with Schumacher’s record of seven championships.
NHL
SABRES SIGN HALL TO 1-YEAR DEAL >>
Taylor Hall agreed to sign an $8 million, one-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres, the team announced Sunday night.
Hall joins his fourth NHL organization since being the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft. He’s reunited with Sabres coach Ralph Krueger, for whom he played the 2013 lockout-shortened season with the Edmonton Oilers.
VERSATILE FAKSA STAYS WITH STARS >> The Dallas Stars re-signed center Radek Faksa to a $16.25 million, fiveyear contract. Faksa was a restricted free agent.
Faksa had 20 points and finished seventh on the team with 11 goals in 66 games during the pandemic-shortened season. The 26-year- old then scored three goals and finished with eight points in helping the Stars reach the Stanley Cup Final, which they lost to Tampa Bay.
RED WINGS SIGN C NAMESTNIKOV >> The Detroit Red Wings signed free agent center Vladislav Namestnikov to a $4 million, two-year contract. Namestnikov has eight seasons of NHL experience after splitting last year between Ottawa and Colorado. The 27-year- old is reunited with Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman, who held the same title with Tampa Bay when the Lightning selected Namestnikov in the 2011 draft.