Annika Sorenstam ran away with the US Senior Women’s Open on Sunday, closing with a 4-under-par 68 for an eight-stroke victory. The 50-year-old Sorenstam, a three-time US Women’s Open champion making her first appearance in the senior event, finished at 12-under 276 at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Conn., in the wire-to-wire victory. “It’s really hard to describe,” Sorenstam said. “When we came here, I just loved the place from the start. Everything felt so good, and then obviously you have to go out there and finish it up, and today I really felt like I played very, very well. To come in here on Sunday knowing what I had to do and I did it, obviously I’m very happy.” Husband Mike McGee caddied for Sorenstam, with daughter Ava, 11 and son Will, 10, in the gallery. “When I turned 50, we had a discussion. I said, `Do you want to see Mama play?′ And they said, ‘Yeah, we want to see Mama play.’ ” Sorenstam said “I said, to do that I have to put in some time. You can’t just go out there and compete with the women out here. They have seen me hitting the balls, they’ve seen me go out there and really put sweat and tears into it, so it’s really paid off. Without them this would not really happen. It’s certainly a team effort.” Sorenstam earned $180,000 and a spot next year in the US Women’s Open. Playing partner and fellow Swede Liselotte Neumann was second, shooting a 74. She won the 1988 US Women’s Open to become the first Swedish major champion. Laura Davies, the 2018 winner in the inaugural event, was third at 3 under after a 71. European Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew (74) and Yuko Saito (72) were 2 under.
Gavins makes up seven shots for win
England’s Daniel Gavins overturned a seven-shot deficit to claim his first European Tour title at the World Invitational in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, and Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn recovered from a triple bogey to win the women’s tournament after a playoff. Gavins carded a bogey-free, 5-under 65 in the final round to set the clubhouse target of 13 under par that none of the later starters proved able to match. Compatriot David Horsey (72) held a share of the lead until losing a ball on the 18th following a wild tee shot to finish a shot behind in second. New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier (70) had been 13 under before dropping shots on the 16th and 17th. He finished tied for third on 11 under with overnight leader Jordan Smith (74), Alejandro Canizares (67), and Masahiro Kawamura (69). Gavins, who was ranked 995th in the world at the end of 2020, had never previously recorded a single top-10 finish on the European Tour. In the women’s event, Anannarukarn (70) overcame a triple bogey on the sixth hole to beat American Emma Talley (70) on the second hole of a playoff. The pair had begun the day tied for the lead with Jennifer Kupcho (71) and the same trio reached the 18th tee locked together on 16 under, only for Kupcho to make a costly bogey after pulling her approach into the water. Both players made par on the first extra hole and another on the second was enough for Anannarukarn to secure her first LPGA title after Talley missed the green with a mis-hit approach. “Honestly I’m just speechless,” Anannarukarn said. “To win here is a special memory.”
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HOCKEY
Marc-Andre Fleury game to play for Blackhawks
Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has committed to playing for the Chicago Blackhawks this season, setting aside his reservations about leaving Vegas. “Hey Chicago. It’s Marc, just want to let you know I’m in. Let’s get to work,” Fleury said, standing in front of a small jet, in a video posted by the Blackhawks on their Twitter account Sunday. The Blackhawks also announced a video news conference featuring Fleury and team president Stan Bowman on Monday. This season’s Vezina Trophy winner had spent a few days contemplating his future after being traded to Chicago on Tuesday. He had been with the Golden Knights since becoming their highest-profile selection in the 2017 expansion draft. The 36-year-old, who won three Stanley Cups during his first 13 NHL seasons in Pittsburgh, considered Las Vegas his home and place where he wanted to end his career, and had reservations about relocating his family. Fleury had also developed a bond with Golden Knights fans and team owner Bill Foley. The Golden Knights traded Fleury to free much-needed salary-cap space, with the goalie counting $7 million against the cap in the final season of his contract. Vegas also has a starter in waiting in Robin Lehner, who split duties with Fleury last season and has four years remaining on his contract . . . The NHL will investigate San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane, the league announced Saturday, following Instagram posts that allege Kane has gambled on his own games. An account purportedly belonging to Kane’s wife, Anna, posted Saturday about Kane’s alleged gambling addiction and added: “Can someone ask [NHL commissioner] Gary Bettman how they can let a player gamble on his own games? Bet and win with bookies on his own games?” Kane, 29, signed a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Sharks in 2018. He had 22 goals and 27 assists in 56 games for the Sharks this past season. Kane filed for federal Chapter 7 bankruptcy in California in January, at least temporarily prohibiting his creditors from collecting on their debts. In that filing, Kane claimed $1.5 million in gambling losses over the previous year. In November 2020, a Las Vegas casino sued Kane, alleging that he had failed to pay back $500,000 in unpaid casino markers he obtained the previous April. The casino later dropped that lawsuit.
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MISCELLANY
Yairo Muñoz closes in on Jacoby Ellsbury
Yairo Muñoz extended his hitting streak to 24 games, one away from Jacoby Ellsbury’s 2007 franchise record, as Worcester beat Buffalo, 8-1, in Triple A baseball at Polar Park . . . Host Portland’s three-run rally in the ninth inning was not enough as the Sea Dogs fell to New Hampshire, 7-6, in Double A play . . . Esteban Ocon won a chaotic Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest while Lewis Hamilton moved up to second place in the race after Sebastian Vettel’s disqualification, increasing his Formula One championship lead over Max Verstappen to 8 points heading into the midseason break. Vettel’s penalty fell late Sunday night after officials were unable to take the required fuel sample of 1 liter from his Aston Martin. “The team was given several opportunities to attempt to remove the required amount of fuel from the tank, however it was only possible to pump 0.3 litres out,” governing body FIA said in a statement. “The Stewards determine to apply the standard penalty for technical infringements.” Aston Martin has appealed the decision. The ruling bumped Hamilton up to second, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. to third, and Verstappen to ninth . . . Robert Castellanos scored the tying goal for Nashville in his MLS debut in a 1-1 draw at Toronto. Nashville (6-1-9) stretched its undefeated streak to eight (4-0-4) with its league-leading ninth tie of the season. Castellanos scored in the 41st minute off Dave Romney’s long throw-in. The ball dropped into a group of six players in the penalty box and deflected off Castellanos’s shoulder, beating Alex Bono low to the near post. Omar Gonzalez scored for Toronto (3-8-5) in the 20th minute . . . Przemyslaw Frankowski scored in the 10th minute and 10-man Chicago tied host Philadelphia, 1-1. Kai Wagner tied it for the Union (6-4-7) on a free kick in the 36th minute after Chicago’s Wyatt Omsberg was given a red card for contact with Cory Burke . . . Portuguese midfielder Xeka scored the only goal as French champion Lille beat Cup winner Paris Saint-Germain, 1-0, in the Champions Trophy Tel Aviv, Israel. The win gave Lille coach Jocelyn Gourvennec a trophy in his first game since replacing Christophe Galtier.
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