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Auto Racing
SAKHIR, Bahrain – Nico Rosberg made it back-to-back victories to start the new Formula One season by winning the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, capitalizing on a first-corner collision involving Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton and an engine failure which prevented Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel starting the race.
Rosberg led throughout to win by 10.2 seconds at the Sakhir circuit from Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, with Hamilton third after recovering from the collision with Williams driver Valtteri Bottas.
It was the fifth straight win for Rosberg, dating back to last season, and his first in Bahrain.
College Basketball
HOUSTON – Oklahoma senior guard Buddy Hield has won the James A. Naismith Trophy as the nation’s top college player.
The award presented by the Atlanta Tipoff Club was announced Sunday, a day after Hield was held to nine points in the Sooners’ 95-51 loss to Villanova in a national semifinal game.
Hield, the two-time Big 12 Player of the Year, averaged 25 points a game. He also won the Oscar Robertson Trophy presented by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and finished a close second to Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine for The Associated Press Player of the Year Award.
Cycling
OUDENAARDE, Belgium – World champion Peter Sagan won the first big classic race of his career with a solo victory Sunday in the 100th edition of the Tour of Flanders.
Sagan finished ahead of three-time winner Fabian Cancellara, who was competing in his final Tour of Flanders. Sep Vanmarcke was third.
Sagan was so strong in the finale that he increased the gap over the former time trial world champion in the last five kilometers of the 255-kilometer Monument race.
Sagan, who had his first victory in the world champion’s rainbow jersey last month at the Gent-Wevelgem race, will be among the favorites of Paris-Roubaix next weekend.
Golf
HUMBLE, Texas – Jim Herman picked the right time for his first PGA Tour victory. He closed with a 4-under 68 on Sunday to win the Shell Houston Open and earn his first trip to the Masters.
He finished with two solid pars and beat Henrik Stenson by one shot.
The Houston Open was the final opportunity for players to get into the Masters.
Herman was No. 191 in the world ranking. The 37-year-old used to work in the pro shop at one of Donald Trump’s golf courses when Trump encouraged him to give the PGA Tour one more try and helped support him financially. Herman still wears the logo of a Trump golf club on his shirt.
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Lydia Ko took advantage of Ariya Jutanugarn’s late collapse to win the ANA Inspiration on Sunday for her second straight major victory and second LPGA Tour win a row.
The top-ranked Ko hit an 88-yard wedge shot to a foot on the par-5 18th to set up her winning birdie. She closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 12 under.
Jutanugarn had a two-stroke lead at 13 under with three holes to play. The 20-year-old Thai player bogeyed all three holes.
Ko won the final major last season, the Evian Championship in September in France, and took the LPGA Tour event last week in Carlsbad. The 18-year-old New Zealander has 12 LPGA Tour victories.
Associated Press
