Associated Press
BROKEN ARROW, Okla. ó Paula Creamer squandered another late lead and fell into a playoff she didn’t want. She got the result she desperately needed, beating Juli Inkster on the second extra hole Sunday in the SemGroup Championship.
A week after losing to Annika Sorenstam in a playoff, Creamer bogeyed the 18th hole at Cedar Ridge for the third straight day and wound up in overtime when the 47-year-old Inkster, trying to become the oldest LPGA Tour winner, made an 18-foot birdie putt.
Instead of getting nervous, Creamer got mad. She twice gave herself birdie putts in the playoff, making an 8-footer on No. 10 for the victory.
Lost in a terrific duel was the end of Lorena Ochoa’s winning streak. Going for a record-tying fifth straight victory, Ochoa never got on track, even in a final round absent of much wind. She closed with a 2-under 69 to tie for fifth, five shots behind.
Creamer earned $270,000 for her sixth career victory, and second this year.
– LAKEWAY, Texas ó Denis Watson birdied the final hole to win the FedEx Kinko’s Classic, taking advantage of Nick Price’s back-nine errors.
HOCKEY
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia ó Dany Heatley had a goal and three assists to lead Canada to a 7-0 win over Latvia in a preliminary round game of the world championships on Sunday.
Heatley moved past Steve Yzerman as Canada’s top career scorer at this event in the modern era. He has 40 points in 36 world championship games, which puts him one ahead of his team’s GM.
Rick Nash added two goals while Patrick Sharp, Martin St. Louis and Chris Kunitz also scored for Canada.
– NEW YORK ó Rangers forward Sean Avery was released from the hospital Sunday, five days after suffering a season-ending spleen injury in a playoff game.
Avery was in intensive care at St. Vincent’s Medical Center from the time he was admitted Tuesday night, shortly after New York’s Game 3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, until Saturday because of a lacerated spleen
APOLOGY
CLEVELAND ó Papa John’s Pizza issued an apology to Cleveland and the Cavaliers for making T-shirts with LeBron James’ number and the word “crybaby” under it.
To apologize, Papa John’s will sell Cleveland residents a large, one-topping pizza for 23 cents on Thursday. The 23 is an homage to James’ jersey number. The company also will donate $10,000 to the Cavaliers Youth Fund.
TENNIS
BOSTON ó John McEnroe won his first Outback Champions Series title Sunday, beating Aaron Krickstein 5-7, 6-3, 10-5 (Champions tiebreak).
“For my favorite fan base ó 75-year-old women ó this proves to you that you can still be young at an advanced age,” McEnroe said.