Golf
LA QUINTA, Calif. — Hudson Swafford won the fittingly named CareerBuilder Challenge on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title, following three straight birdies with a closing par for a one-stroke victory.
Swafford shot a 5-under 67 on the Stadium Course at PGA West to finish the three-course, pro-am event at 20-under 268. Adam Hadwin came back with a 70 after his third-round 59 to finish second.
Brian Harman and Bud Cauley each shot 69 to tie for third at 18 under.
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Tommy Fleetwood broke free from a pack of contenders containing three major champions to win the Abu Dhabi Championship by one shot on Sunday, ending the Englishman’s 3½-year wait for a second European Tour title.
In a tense final round in which five players held the lead, the 26-year-old Fleetwood chipped in for eagle from 20 yards at the par-5 10th hole to spark a back nine of 31. That helped him to a 5-under 67 and 17 under par overall.
Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson and Martin Kaymer, all recent major winners, couldn’t keep up with Fleetwood, who ended his 3½-year wait for a second European Tour title.
Skiing
KITZBUEHEL, Austria — Marcel Hirscher used a stunning second run to win the slalom of the classic Hahnenkamm races on Sunday, while Dave Ryding became the first British skier in 35 years to place second in a World Cup race.
Hirscher, who is the five-time overall champion, was in ninth place after the opening run and trailed leader Ryding by 1.09 seconds, but finished the race 0.76 ahead to claim his 20th career slalom win, and 42nd overall.
Ryding matched the best World Cup result by a British skier, set by Konrad Bartelski, who finished runner-up in a downhill in Val Gardena, Italy, in December 1981.
Defending overall World Cup champion Lara Gut extended her perfect run in super-G this season with a comfortable win Sunday while Lindsey Vonn struggled to a ninth-place finish.
For her third straight super-G victory, Swiss skier Gut finished 0.67 seconds ahead of Stephanie Venier of Austria and 0.86 in front of Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
Vonn, who won a downhill Saturday in just the second race of her comeback from a knee injury and a broken arm, finished 1.65 seconds behind.
Tennis
MELBOURNE, Australia — Serena Williams scrapped her way into the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, working around a misfiring serve and a rash of unforced errors to beat Barbora Strycova as the heat intensified on Monday.
She had a little bit of luck in some big moments, but created it herself by staying in points against the No. 16-ranked Strycova, who made the No. 2-ranked Williams engage in more and longer rallies than anyone so far in the tournament.
Despite the four service breaks (three in the first set), and with the fluky net cord and the off-balance, scrunched-shoulder backhand that bounced flatly and clinched her the first set on her eighth set point, Williams found a way to win 7-5, 6-4.
That keeps Williams on track in her bid for an Open-era record 23rd Grand Slam title. If she gets there, the 35-year-old American will regain the No. 1 ranking as well.
Associated Press
