GOLF
Ernst wins Wells Fargo
Derek Ernst beat England’s David Lynn in a playoff on Sunday to win his first PGA Tour title at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, after Phil Mickelson squandered a late lead. Ernst, ranked outside the top 1,200 at the start of the week and in the field as the fourth alternate, birdied the 72nd hole of regulation to seize a share of the lead, then returned to the 18th for the first hole of the sudden-death playoff. Lynn, who was also seeking a first PGA Tour title, hit his drive into the rough along the bank of the stream left of the fairway. He found a greenside bunker with his second shot, while Ernst was on the fairway and landed his approach 15 feet from the pin. Lynn’s bunker shot flew the green and he chipped seven feet past. Ernst’s birdie putt lipped out, but his tap-in for par was enough for the victory, which also brought him an invitation to this week’s prestigious Players Championship.
TENNIS
Haas, 35, wins BMW Open
Tommy Haas won the BMW Open for the first time in his 10th attempt on Sunday, at age 35. Third-seeded Haas beat defending champion Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) to win the first all-German title match in Munich in 48 years. “I can hardly believe that I still managed to win here after such a long career,” said Haas, who emulated Fabrice Santoro’s feat in winning an ATP tour event in Newport at the same age in 2008. Haas capped an impressive week by beating Kohlschreiber in 83 minutes for his 14th ATP Tour title, his fourth on home soil.
ICE HOCKEY
Switzerland beat Canada
Switzerland took another big scalp at the ice hockey world championships on Sunday, beating Canada 3-2 after a penalty shootout in Stockholm. Goalkeeper Martin Gerber displayed nerves of steel in front of the Swiss net and Reto Suri converted twice in the shootout for Switzerland. Switzerland had already beaten co-hosts Sweden in their opening game. In Helsinki, Ilya Kovalchuk’s hat-trick helped defending champions Russia to a comfortable 4-1 victory over Germany. The US came back from a goal down to beat Latvia 4-1, twice punishing Latvia with power-play goals, while Damien Fleury netted his second goal of the tournament as France beat Austria 3-1 in other games in the Finnish capital. In Stockholm, Belarus registered their first win of the tournament as they edged out Slovenia 4-3 thanks to a late goal from forward Alexei Ugarov. Norway beat Denmark 3-2.
BASKETBALL
LeBron James named MVP
LeBron James is the overwhelming choice as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. The Miami Heat star took 120 of 121 first-place votes in this year’s balloting, giving him the award for the fourth time. Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant finished second and the New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony was third. Anthony received the only other first-place vote from a panel of broadcasters and sports writers who cover the league.
BASKETBALL
Nets fire coach Carlesimo
The Brooklyn Nets have fired P.J. Carlesimo as interim head coach of the NBA team, the team general manager said one day after the club was eliminated from the playoffs by the Chicago Bulls. Carlesimo led the Nets to a 49-33 finish for second place in the Atlantic Division. He replaced the fired Avery Johnson in December last year. The Nets flopped in their first-round playoff series, falling 99-93 in Game 7 at home on Saturday.
TURKEY
Galatasaray claim 19th title
Galatasaray clinched their 19th league title with a 4-2 win over Sivasspor on Sunday, crowning a successful season in which they reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Fans of the club filled the streets of Istanbul, sounding car horns, setting off flares and waving flags in the club’s red and yellow colors as they sang in the city’s squares. With two weeks remaining in the season, Galatasaray eased to victory with two goals a piece from top goalscorer Burak Yilmaz and Selcuk Inan. They now have 68 points. Istanbul rivals Fenerbahce, who have won the title 18 times, slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyespor, leaving them 10 points adrift of the leaders and just three points ahead of Besiktas JK. Coach Fatih Terim, in his third spell in charge of Galatasaray, retained the title after strengthening his squad with the signings of Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder earlier this year. Terim was forced to watch his team’s triumph from the stands as he is serving a nine-match ban following a spat with a referee during a league match last month. It was the sixth time that Terim had led the club to success in the league.
DENMARK
Copenhagen secure 10th title
Copenhagen secured a 10th title on Sunday and a place in the qualifying round of next season’s UEFA Champions League after a 0-0 draw away to bitter city rivals Brondby IF. The draw put Copenhagen on 64 points, 10 more than second-placed Nordsjaelland, who drew 2-2 with Silkeborg IF on Friday, with three rounds of matches left to play. Brondby are stuck in a battle for survival at the other end of the table, following a season of poor performances on the pitch and a desperate financial struggle to survive off it.
NORWAY
Honefoss fine their ’keeper
Honefoss BK fined their own goalkeeper Steve Clark for taunting opponents from a lower-division club during a penalty shootout. Clark’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by second-tier side IF Birkebeineren in their Norwegian Cup tie on May 1, which led to the game being decided by penalties. The American goalkeeper then taunted Awat Peygembernejad and Anders Torgersen for missing their spot-kicks as Honefoss won the shootout 3-2. “Steve violated our ethical rules of conduct on this occasion and Honefoss BK does not want to be associated with this type of behavior,” the club said in a statement. “Clark would also like to apologize for his behavior, and says that the way he behaved in the game is not representative of how he wants to be perceived as a player and a person.” The statement said Clark was fined 20,000 crowns (US$3,500), which will be donated to charity.
UNITED STATES
Referee dies after punch
A longtime youth soccer official who was punched in the face by a teenage player in a match in Utah has died, the Salt Lake Unified Police Department said. The police department said in a statement that Ricardo Portillo of Salt Lake City died on Saturday night in hospital, where he had been receiving treatment since the incident in a match on April 27. Police said the 17-year-old player, who was not named because he is a juvenile, punched Portillo once in the face after receiving a yellow card. Portillo was first thought to have minor injuries, but was later found to have serious internal head injuries. The boy was arrested on April 29. He remains in a juvenile detention center and could face additional charges in the wake of Portillo’s death, police said.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely