- Sunday, February 26, 2012

GOLF

Mahon stops McIlroy in World Match Play final

MARANA, Ariz. — Hunter Mahan stopped Rory McIlroy’s march to No. 1 by winning the Match Play Championship on Sunday.

Mahan won four holes in a five-hole stretch starting with a 9-iron to 2 feet on the sixth hole, building a 4-up lead through 10 holes. Even as McIlroy threw his best stuff at him on the back nine, Mahan responded with two clutch birdies to stay in control.

Mahan won, 2 and 1, to capture his second World Golf Championship title. “He’s the best player in the world right now,” Mahan said. “I knew he’d made a charge, and he did.”

McIlroy defeated Lee Westwood in the semifinals Sunday morning, a high-stakes match because if either of them won the Match Play Championship, they would replace Luke Donald atop the world ranking.

Mahan made sure that didn’t happen this week.

He played 96 holes in his six matches and had 35 birdies on his scorecards. Mahan defeated Mark Wilson in his semifinal match.

• Angela Stanford won the HSBC Women’s Champions on the third playoff hole Sunday, her first victory since 2009 and her fifth on the LPGA Tour. The 34-year-old Texan parred the last playoff hole, beating South Koreans Jenny Shin and Na Yeon Choi and China’s Shanshan Feng.

HOCKEY

Senators add depth in goal, deal for Blues’ Bishop

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators acquired 6-foot-7 Ben Bishop from the St. Louis Blues on Sunday for a second-round draft pick in 2013. Bishop has been among the best goalies in the AHL this season.

He joins the Senators less than a week after Craig Anderson had surgery for a severed tendon in his right hand.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Back surgery to sideline UConn coach Calhoun

STORRS, Conn. — Connecticut Jim Calhoun is set to have back surgery Monday to help alleviate pain caused by narrowing of his spinal column, a procedure that he hopes could lead to his return to the court this season. The Hall of Fame coach is expected to be hospitalized for two nights.

TENNIS

Del Potro wins in Marseilles for first title of season

MARSEILLE, France — Juan Martin del Potro beat Michael Llodra 6-4, 6-4 in the Open 13 final Sunday, defeating yet another French player and winning his first title of the season. Del Potro was the 2009 U.S. Open champion.

• From wire dispatches and staff reports

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