24/03/2026

SPORTS TUESDAY | MAR 24, 2026

28 Fitzpatrick seals Vals ar title Valspar title

SOUTH KOREA’S Kim Hyo-joo held off a final day charge from Nelly Korda to clinch a one-shot victory at the LPGA Tour’s Fortinet Founders Cup tournament in California yesterday. Kim, who started the day five shots clear of Korda, carded a closing 1-over 73 to finish on 16-under at the Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club in Menlo Park, outside San Francisco. Korda fired a 3-under 69 in a valiant bid that came up just short, leaving her on 15 under for the tournament. The victory marked Kim’s second vic tory in the tournament after she won the Founders when it was held in Arizona in 2015. “I don’t think I was necessarily shaken up or my emotions were all over the place,” said Kim.“I was just trying to keep my focus on my shots and what I was doing.” “I think just in the back nine my two par saves were probably the things I’m proud est about today,” Kim addd. “Just because my shots weren’t playing as well.” The 30-year-old Kim had watched final round partner Korda whittle away at her five-shot advantage with a blistering front nine. Korda, who was playing after tennis playing younger brother Sebastian dumped world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz out of the Miami Open earlier yesterday, rattled off six birdies in the first 10 holes to pull level with Kim at 17-under just after the turn. But just when it seemed as if Korda was building unstoppable momentum, the 27 year-old two-time major champion wob bled, and she failed to make a birdie in her final eight holes to surrender the initiative. Kim regained her one-shot lead on the 11th hole with a birdie after Korda found a bunker with her second shot and could only par. Both players then bogeyed the 12th, and Kim retained her lead on the par-three 13th when she parred after hitting the pin with her second shot. Korda gave herself a chance to level on the 14th after hitting a lob wedge second shot to eight feet. Kim though was equal to the challenge, and when she curled in a long birdie putt the pressure was back on Korda. Korda was unable to make birdie, and suddenly Kim had a two-shot cushion with four holes to play. Korda trimmed the lead to one on the 16th when Kim bogeyed, and then looked poised to square it on the 17th when Kim’s tee shot flew through the back of the green. But Kim produced a sensational up and down from the rough to make par, and when Korda three-putted, the Korean was leading by two heading to 18 and she duly closed out victory despite a bogey on the last. South Korea’s Jin Hee Im and Sei Young Kim tied for third at 11-under while world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand shot 73 and tied for 14th at 8-under. – AFP/Agencies Kim holds off Korda charge

Englishman birdies 18th hole to win after settling for runner-up at Players

Fitzpatrick lines up a putt on the sixth green during the third round of the Valspar Championship yesterday in Florida. – REINHOLD MATAY-IMAGN IMAGES

E NGLAND’S Matthew Fitzpatrick sank a 14-foot birdie putt on yesterday’s final hole to win the US PGA Tour Valspar Championship, defeat ing American David Lipsky by one stroke. The 31-year-old from Sheffield birdied two of the last four holes to shoot a bogey-free 3-under 68 and finish on 11-under 273. A week after settling for a runner up finish at The Players Championship after a last-hole bogey, Fitzpatrick took the US$1.6

It was the third US PGA Tour title for Fitzpatrick after the 2022 US Open and 2023 Heritage tournament and came just four months after defeating Rory McIlroy in a playoff to win the DP World Tour Championship. However, his triumph was over shadowed by clear irritation at the slow play of his final-round partner, Adrien Dumont de Chassart. Fitzpatrick raised concerns with a PGA Tour rules official during the round, prompting officials to monitor Dumont de Chassart’s timing. The Belgian was later issued an official

million (RM6.7m) top prize from the US$9 million (RM38m) event at Innisbrook’s Copperhead course in Palm Harbor, Florida. “The big thing was, I felt like I was playing well. Going into this week, wanted to continue that and I felt like I had confidence in myself to do so,” Fitzpatrick said. “To do that for four rounds was special this week.” Fitzpatrick, the only player in the final seven pairs to break 70 yester day, became the third Englishman to win the title after Paul Casey and Luke Donald.

warning, though no penalty was applied. “That was really frustrating. It was slow today – a lot of stop-start,” Fitzpatrick said after his round. “When you’re not ready to play a golf shot, it gets frustrating after a while – particularly when you’re in contention. It definitely knocks you out of your rhythm.” Lipsky missed out on what would have been his first victory in 145 PGA Tour career starts but matched his best showing. “Overall, I’m really happy with how patient I was,” Lipsky said. Four shared the lead on the back nine at 9-under but Brandt Snedeker suffered a three-putt double bogey at the par-four 12th to fall back, leaving Lipsky, Fitzpatrick and England’s Jordan Smith at the top. Smith, whose only prior top-10 PGA finish was a share of ninth at the 2017 PGA Championship, fired a 66 to finish third on 275. Fitzpatrick sank a 30-foot birdie putt at the par-three 15th to seize the lead at 10-under but Lipsky made a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-five 14th to match him again at the top and they parred to the 18th hole. Fitzpatrick landed his approach 14 feet from the hole and sank the intense birdie putt, delivering a right fist pump as he seized the lead. “It wasn’t an ideal putt,” he said. “It was a nice right-to-lefter but … I

INSIDE EDGE

from 88-3 after 10 overs, they lost wickets in rapid suc cession to be all out for 145 off 18.5 overs. It sends the series, played between weakened sides from both countries, to a decider in Christchurch tomorrow. The match swung in favour of South Africa when spinners Keshav Maharaj and Prenelan Subrayen turned the screws through the middle stages of the chase. Captain Maharaj is comfortably the most experienced member of an experimental tour squad and proved hard to score from as he took 2-22 off four overs. Subrayen, playing his first T20 international, bowled Dane Cleaver for 26 to spark New Zealand’s middle order crumble and finished with 2-13 off three overs. Maharaj said his side played with more energy than in defeats in Hamilton and Auckland. “It was a perfect response to two disappointing

Pakistan’s T20 league behind closed doors

THE initial matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be played behind closed doors in Lahore and Karachi, the country’s cricket board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi said yesterday, citing a fuel shortage caused by the conflict in the Middle East. The fran chise-based Twenty20 league, set to kick off on Thursday, also cancelled its opening ceremony in Lahore as it scaled back from six venues to two. “Fans will be able to receive refunds for tickets and we apologise to them for the inconvenience… we pray that the situation in the region returns to normal soon,” Mohsin, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister, told a press conference. Naqvi said the decision was taken after a meeting with the league’s franchises. “The Prime Minister (Shehbaz Sharif) requested all of Pakistan to restrict their movements because of the fuel crisis. We closed schools and instituted work from home and increased the number of Eid holidays. We don’t know how long this war will last,”Naqvi said.“But we can’t ask people to restrict their movements and then have 30,000 people in stadiums every day. We decided that as long as this crisis is ongoing, we will not have crowds at matches.” Proteas clinch 19-run win over Kiwis SOUTH AFRICA’S spinners played a decisive role as the tourists won the fourth Twenty20 international against New Zealand by 19 runs on Sunday to square the five-match series 2-2. New Zealand were well placed to clinch the series midway through their chase in Wellington after the Proteas scored 164-5. However,

losses in a row,” he said. “Coming into this game, you could see there was a little bit more energy and hun ger. We are a young team, finding our way in interna tional cricket so it takes a little bit of time.” Opener Tim Robinson top-scored with 32 for New Zealand while Proteas paceman Gerald Coetzee took 3 31.

wouldn’t say I was overly keen on it given my putting per formance today. To get it done like that was special.” Lipsky missed a 32-foot birdie putt from just off the green and Fitzpatrick had the crown. South Korea’s Im Sung-jae began the day with a two-stroke lead over Snedeker and Lipsky, but Im made bogeys on five of his first 10 holes to fall back. – AFP/Agencies

South Africa’s Prenelan Subrayen (right) celebrates with captain Keshav Maharaj in Wellington on Sunday. – AFPPIC

American golfer DeChambeau wins back-to-back LIV Golf playoffs

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU won back-to-back LIV Golf titles via playoffs when he made a birdie on the first extra hole to beat Spaniard Jon Rahm in the South Africa tournament near Johannesburg on Sunday. The previous weekend in Singapore, Canadian Richard T. Lee missed a short putt to gift DeChambeau victory. This time a brilliant second playoff shot from the American at the par-five 18th set up success. After receiving relief when his tee shot landed in grass muddied by torrential rain, the 32-year-old major winner used a wood and slammed the ball

into the heart of the green. Rahm failed to take advantage of his tee shot landing in the fairway as his second found a green side bunker. After reaching the green in three, Rahm watched his birdie putt veer right, leaving DeChambeau needing two putts for victory and a US$4 million (RM17m) first prize. His eagle putt stopped just short and he tapped in for a triumph that triggered an emotional reac tion as he struggled to hold back tears. “I wish I could tell you why I am so emotional,” DeChambeau told reporters after his fourth LIV title.

shared the first-round lead and was two shots ahead after the second and third rounds. He carded a five-under 66 in the final round while Rahm, helped by a long birdie putt on 16, fired a 63 to force the playoff. Both completed four rounds in 258, 26 under par. Mexican Anthony Ancer (66), Belgian Thomas Detry (65) and South African Branden Grace (67) finished on 261. After tournaments this season in Saudi Arabia, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Africa, the sixth LIV Golf event will be in Mexico from April 16. – AFP

More than 100,000 spectators watched the four-day event at Steyn City and the champion called it “the best LIV event we have ever had. There was some stellar golf this week.” The atmosphere on the final day, with President Cyril Ramaphosa present, resembled that of a football match, with constant cheering, chanting and singing. Such was the enthusiasm of the crowds that golf etiquette was occasionally forgotten with cheering continuing as competitors played shots. DeChambeau was always in contention. He