Sun, Jun 22, 2014 page17

• SPORTS BRIEFS

  • Agencies
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  GOLF

  Langley takes Travelers lead

  The US’ Scott Langley had eight birdies in a five-under 65 on Friday to grab the second-round lead in the US PGA Tour’s US$6.2 million Travelers Championship. Langley, a 25-year-old seeking his first victory on the US Tour, had an 11-under-par total of 129 after two rounds on the TPC River Highlands Course. He was one stroke in front of South Korean K.J. Choi and the US’ Michael Putnam and Harris English. Putnam’s 63 was the best round of the day, while English carded a 64 and Choi a 65. First-round leader Brendan Steele was in a group on 131 after a second-round 69. He was joined by fellow Americans Ryan Moore (68), Eric Axley (67) and Jamie Lovemark (63). Dustin Johnson was alone in ninth place after his second straight 66 for 132.

  RUGBY UNION

  Scotland pip Argentina 21-19

  Replacement Henry Pyrgos scored a 73rd-minute try and flyhalf Duncan Weir added a penalty with two minutes left as Scotland rallied from a nine-point deficit to pip Argentina 21-19 in a one-off Test in Cordoba, Argentina, on Friday. It was Scotland’s third successive victory under new coach Vern Cotter, who joined the international team from Clermont at the end of the French club season. Pyrgos finished off a break from center Nick de Luca, who also set up Scotland’s first try by Stuart Hogg in the sixth minute, to bring the visitors back within a point at 19-18 with six minutes remaining. Weir then slotted his third penalty to secure victory for the inexperienced Scots, who trailed 19-10 after an hour. The Pumas controlled most of the match after Hogg’s early try, with flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez dictating play as his superb tactical kicking kept Cotter’s men pinned inside their own territory. Sanchez slotted two penalties and a drop goal, but failed to convert the two touchdowns by flanker Javier Ortega Desio and replacement Joaquin Tuculet.

  RUGBY UNION

  Samoa beat Fiji to go top

  Samoa finished top of the Pacific conference in the Pacific Nations Cup tournament when six Tusi Pisi penalties produced an 18-13 win against Fiji in Suva yesterday in the final regional match. Fiji scored the only tries, but were let down by their own ill-discipline as they lost at home to their Pacific neighbors for the first time in 16 years. The result was a setback for Fiji ahead of their must-win World Cup qualifier against the Cook Islands next week. Their star had been rising in recent weeks as they moved up to 10th in the world rankings following wins over Italy (25-14) and Tonga (45-17). Samoa, ranked one place higher than Fiji and having already qualified for the World Cup, drew with Tonga 18-18 and beat Italy 15-0.

  FORMULA ONE

  Bottas fastest in last practice

  Valtteri Bottas earned Williams the fastest lap time in the final practice before qualifying for the Austrian GP yesterday, edging Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes by 0.05 seconds. Bottas completed the 4.3km Red Bull Ring in 1 minute, 9.848 seconds in the closing minute of the session to overtake then-leader Hamilton. Bottas’ teammate Felipe Massa timed 1:09.901 to give Williams a 1-3 finish. Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg, who leads the drivers’ championship, posted the fifth time. Halfway through the session yesterday, Hamilton was only eighth and Rosberg 11th as Mercedes apparently was focusing on their long-run pace instead of aiming for the fastest lap time. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and four-time Champion Sebastian Vettel were more than half a second off the pace in seventh and 10th respectively.
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