College Football
California has fired coach Sonny Dykes after four seasons that produced just one bowl appearance, a person with direct knowledge of the decision tells The Associated Press.
The person spoke Sunday on condition of anonymity because the school had yet to announce its decision.
Dykes left Louisiana Tech to replace Jeff Tedford and took over the struggling Cal program in 2013, but could never get the Bears turned around. They went 8-5 in 2015, but then slid back to 5-7 this season.
Dykes finishes 19-30 at Cal and 10-26 in the Pac-12.
Golf
KAPALUA, Hawaii – Justin Thomas bounced back at just the right time Sunday to hold off Hideki Matsuyama and win the SBS Tournament of Champions.
Thomas closed with a 4-under 69 and ended Matsuyama’s bid for a fourth straight victory.
Thomas went from a five-shot lead to a one-shot lead in just two holes on the back nine. He was still ahead by one on the 17th hole when he ripped an approach from 214 yards to 3 feet. Matsuyama three-putted from 30 feet for bogey, Thomas made his birdie, which allowed him a comfortable walk with a spectacular view of the Pacific down the 18th at Kapalua.
MLB
TOKYO – Former major league outfielder Manny Ramirez has agreed to terms with the Kochi Fighting Dogs of Japan’s independent Shikoku Island League.
The 44-year-old native of the Dominican Republic played for the EDA Rhinos of Chinese Professional Baseball in Taiwan in 2013, .hitting .352 with eight home runs and 43 RBIs.
The four-team independent league is based in Shikoku, the smallest and least populous of Japan’s four main islands.
Skiing
ADELBODEN, Switzerland – Henrik Kristoffersen routed his rivals in a foggy World Cup slalom to win by a massive 1.83-second margin on Sunday.
With his third slalom win of the season, the 22-year-old Norwegian drew level atop the standings with great rival Marcel Hirscher of Austria, who was 2.19 back in third place.
Fog drifted across the course as first-run leader Kristoffersen also set the fastest time in the second leg. Still, it did not compare to the thick fog that slowed Hirscher and other top racers in the morning run.
Manfred Moelgg of Italy finished second to continue his career renaissance after winning Thursday at Zagreb, Croatia.
Hirscher, the five-time defending overall champion, extended his lead in the standings over Alexis Pinturault of France, who placed ninth.
CAVALESE, Italy – Sergey Ustiugov became the first competitor to lead the Tour de Ski from start to finish, holding on to his comfortable advantage in the final climb up Mount Cermis on Sunday.
Ustiogov finished 1 minute, 2.9 seconds ahead of two-time Tour champion Martin Johnsrud Sundby of Norway and 1:19.1 ahead of three-time Tour winner Dario Cologna of Switzerland.
After finishing third the past three years, Norway’s Heidi Weng finally won the Tour de Ski on Sunday.
Having started the final stage in second place, Weng quickly surged into the lead and won the 9-kilometer climb up Mount Cermis in Val di Fiemme. Weng finished 1 minute, 37.0 seconds ahead of Krista Parmakoski of Finland and 1:54.4 ahead of Stina Nilsson of Sweden, who had the lead entering the day.
Associated Press
