Golf
Johnson extends Furyk’s drought, wins BMW title
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Zach Johnson won the rain-delayed BMW Championship on Monday and now has a chance to win something bigger.
Johnson rolled in two birdie putts over the closing holes at soggy Conway Farms and closed with a 6-under 65 for a two-shot victory over Nick Watney, giving him one of the top five seeds for the Tour Championship next week and a clear shot at the FedEx Cup and its $10 million prize.
His first win of the year came at the expense of Jim Furyk, who endured another dose of final-round disappointment.
Furyk’s victory drought is now at three years, and he has failed to win the last six times he had at least a share of the lead going into the final round. He lost the outright lead with a bogey on the 11th hole and then fell too far behind with two more bogeys in his round of 71. He wound up alone in third.
auto racing
Montoya bolts Sprint Cup for IndyCar return with Penske
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Juan Pablo Montoya has an added boost of motivation to win races again.
And he’s teaming with longtime boss Chip Ganassi’s top rival to do it.
Montoya ended his underwhelming NASCAR stint Monday for a return to IndyCar, where he’ll drive for Ganassi rival Roger Penske.
The Colombian has agreed to join Team Penske next season as a teammate to current IndyCar points leader Helio Castroneves and Will Power. He could also drive in some NASCAR races as part of the deal.
Some could also consider the move a big piece of gamesmanship in the racing rivalry that spans two series between Ganassi and Penske.
Ganassi decided in August he was not bringing Montoya back to his NASCAR program next season. But he and Penske are fierce rivals in IndyCar, and Ganassi driver Scott Dixon is currently locked in the championship battle with Castroneves.
tennis
Cilic earns nine-month ban after alleged doping violation
LONDON – Former top-10 player Marin Cilic has been suspended nine months for a doping violation.
The ban was back-dated to May 1, so Cilic can return to competition Jan. 31, the International Tennis Federation said Monday.
Cilic tested positive for nikethamide, a stimulant, at a tournament in Munich last spring. The ITF said it accepted the player’s contention that he ingested the substance inadvertently in glucose tablets and was not trying to cheat.
As a result, the ITF gave him a reduced penalty rather than a ban of up to two years.
Cilic plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He said in a statement that he purchased the tablets at a pharmacy in France.
The 24-year-old from Croatia has not played since withdrawing from his second-round match at Wimbledon in June, citing a knee injury. Cilic will be ineligible for the Australian Open in January.
He has been ranked as high as No. 9 in the world in early 2010 after reaching the semifinals at that year’s Australian Open. Cilic is currently 24th.
MLB
No joke: Seinfeld to join Mets’ broadcast crew Tuesday
NEW YORK – Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
Jerry Seinfeld will join the broadcast crew Tuesday for the New York Mets, a team that is 15 games below .500 and with little to laugh about this season.
The comic is a longtime fan of the team. He will appear on the pregame show and then join Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling for the call of the game against the San Francisco Giants.
Seinfeld also broadcast a game between the Mets and Detroit on June 23, 2010.
Another comedian, Bill Maher, bought a minority ownership stake in the Mets last year.
Associated Press
