Auto Racing
Ohio brings out the best in Dixon in last-to-first finish
LEXINGTON, Ohio – Scott Dixon went from last in qualifying to capture his fifth win at Mid-Ohio in the last eight years, coasting in on low fuel to end Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s victory drought in 2014.
The 34-year-old New Zeland driver, who started last in the 22-car field, also won on the twisty road course between Cleveland and Columbus in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012.
Target Chip Ganassi has won the last six races at the track, including the last four of Dixon’s triumphs. It finally broke through in a familiar place.
Dixon took advantage of a gaffe by Josef Newgarden and his pit crew to pull away.
Pole-sitter Sebastien Bourdais was a distant second, with James Hinchcliffe third, rookie Carlos Munoz fourth and favorite son Graham Rahal fifth.
Golf
Ogilvy ends lengthy drought with some help from eagle
RENO, Nev. – Geoff Ogilvy won the Barracuda Championship on Sunday for his eighth PGA Tour title and first since 2010, scoring five points with an eagle on the par-5 13th and pulling away for a five-point victory in the modified Stableford event.
Players receive eight points for double eagle, five for eagle, two for birdie, zero for par, minus-one for bogey and minus-three for double bogey or worse.
Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open winner, added birdies on the par-4 14th and par-5 18th to finish with 49 points. He had 14 points in the final round with the eagle, five birdies and a bogey.
The 37-year-old Australian was making his first appearance in the event since 2002 after failing to qualify for the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational. He entered the week with only two top-25 finishes this season and was 151st in the FedEx Cup standings.
Perry putts in to fight off Langer by just one stroke
BLAINE, Minn. – Kenny Perry scrambled for a birdie on the 18th hole Sunday to beat hard-charging Bernhard Langer by a stroke in the Champions Tour’s 3M Championship.
Perry closed with a 7-under 65 for his second victory of the year and seventh overall on the 50-and-over tour. He finished at 23-under 193 at TPC Twin Cities.
Langer, the Senior British Open winner last week by a tour-record 13 shots, shot 63. He overcame a four-shot deficit on the back nine and was tied with Perry going to the par-5 18th.
Tennis
Williams in top form after her freaky health scare
STANFORD, Calif. – Serena Williams won her WTA-leading fourth title of the season Sunday, beating third-seeded Angelique Kerber 7-6(1), 6-3 in the Bank of the West Classic.
The top-ranked and top-seeded Williams won the hard-court event for the third time.
Williams will be No. 1 for the 200th week in her career when the rankings are announced Monday. She is fifth on the career list.
Williams beat the left-handed Kerber for the fourth consecutive time and fifth time in six overall meetings. All of their matches have been in straight sets.
Canadians make a bit of history, as Raonic rolls
WASHINGTON – Milos Raonic easily won the first all-Canadian tournament final in ATP history, erasing the only break point he faced and beating Vasek Pospisil 6-1, 6-4 Sunday at the Citi Open for his sixth career title.
The second-seeded Raonic produced serves at more than 140 mph (225 kph) and broke Pospisil four times at the hard-court tuneup for the U.S. Open. The year’s last Grand Slam tournament begins Aug. 25.
Raonic, a semifinalist at Wimbledon last month, earned $316,400 for the victory, and his ranking will rise one spot Monday to No. 6, matching his career high.
The ATP said it was the first time two men from Canada played each other in a tour final in the Open era, which began in 1968.
Associated Press
