SCHWARTZEL CRUISES TO TSHWANE OPEN TITLE
Charl Schwartzel raced away from the rest of the field to win the European Tour’s Tshwane Open in Pretoria, South Africa, by eight shots Sunday as he closed with a 7-under 63 to finish 16 under. Schwartzel, who held a oneshot lead heading into the final round, had seven birdies and an eagle to cruise to his second tour title this season. This was the 11th European Tour title for Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, who had ended a two-year drought on the tour by winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship in November. Eight of Schwartzel’s 11 wins have come in his native South Africa. Denmark’s Jeff
Winther closed with a 64 to take second place at 8 under.
uUnfazed by an earthquake just before she teed off, topranked Lydia Ko won the New Zealand Women’s Open for the third time in four years Sunday. The magnitude 5.7 quake rattled the Christchurch area about 10 minutes before Ko began play. She started the round on time, and play wasn’t interrupted by the quake. Ko closed with a 2-under 70 for a two-stroke win. The 18-year-old South Korean-born New Zealander finished at 10-under 206. England’s Felicity Johnson, South Korean amateur Hye Jin Choi and Denmark’s
Nanna Koerstz Madsen tied
for second.
uBernhard Langer won the Chubb Classic for his 26th PGA Champions Tour title, closing with a 1-over 73 for a three-stroke victory in Naples, Fla. Seven strokes ahead after opening with rounds of 62 and 66, the 58-yearold German star finished at 15under 201 at TwinEagles. He also won in 2011 and 2013, was second in 2012 and tied for second in 2014. Fred Couples shot a 66 to finish second. Langer is third on the 50-and-over tour’s victory
list, behind Hale Irwin (45) and Lee Trevino (29).