Weekend Sports In Brief

GOLF

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - Jim Herman rallied to win the Wyndham Championship on Sunday for his third PGA Tour title and a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs, shooting a 7-under 63 for a one-stroke victory over Billy Horshel.

Known for his friendship with President Donald Trump, Herman overcame a four-stroke deficit in the final round at Sedgefield Country Club. He overtook Horschel with a birdie on the 71st hole.

The 42-year-old Herman finished at 21-under 259.

Horschel closed with a 65. He had a final chance to tie on the 72nd hole, but his 8-foot birdie putt slid left of the cup.

Herman got into the playoffs, jumping from 192nd to 54th in the race for the 125 spots. He hoisted a trophy for the second straight season and third time since 2017.

Si Woo Kim, the third-round leader, had a 70 to tie for third at 18 under with Kevin Kisner (64), Webb Simpson (65) and Doc Redman (68).

NORTH BERWICK, Scotland (AP) - Stacy Lewis won the Ladies Scottish Open with a 23-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff, giving the American her first title in nearly three years and a confidence boost ahead of the Women’s British Open.

The 35-year-old Lewis took a swig of champagne beside the 18th green after fending off Azahara Munoz, Cheyenne Knight and Emily Kristine Pedersen for her 13th LPGA Tour victory - and first since the birth to daughter Chesnee in October 2018.

Lewis closed with a 1-over 72 to match Munoz (73), Knight (70) and Pedersen (68) at 5-under 279 at The Renaissance Club. The Texan won for the first time since the 2017 Cambia Portland Classic and won for the first time in a playoff after dropping her previous three.

AKRON, Ohio (AP) - Jerry Kelly seized control at the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship with a hole-in-one on the 12th hole at Firestone, sending him to a 1-under 69 and a two-shot victory for his first major on the PGA Tour Champions.

Kelly was clinging to a one-shot lead over Scott Parel when he hit a soft cut with a 5-iron that landed in front of the hole and rolled in for an ace, eliciting a shout from one volunteer around the green.

From there, Kelly was on his way. His only big mistake came on the 18th when he could afford it. He found a bunker off the tee, his next shot hit a tree and dropped into rough below the limbs. He did well to get into the fringe and took three putts for a double bogey, knowing that was enough to win.

Kelly, who finished at 3 under, and Parel were the only players to finish under par on the South Course at Firestone, which previously hosted a World Golf Championship where Tiger Woods won a record eight times.

AUTO RACING

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Marco Andretti has won the pole for the Indianapolis 500 in a lightning-fast first step toward snapping the infamous “Andretti Curse” at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Andretti logged a four-lap average of 231.068 mph in Sunday qualifying, and an Andretti now will lead the field to green for the first time in 33 years. Mario Andretti won his third and final pole for the Indy 500 in 1987, when grandson Marco was an infant.

Scott Dixon posted a four-lap average of 231.051 mph to take over the top spot and held it until Marco Andretti went out last.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Make it three in a row on the road for Chase Elliott.

NASCAR’s most popular driver won the Cup Series road course race at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, holding off hard-charging Denny Hamlin following a late restart and notching his third consecutive victory away from ovals.

The 24-year-old Elliott also won on road courses at Charlotte and at Watkins Glen last year.

Hamlin finished second, followed Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Sheldon Creed won the NASCAR Truck Series race on the road course at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, holding off GMS Racing teammate Brett Moffitt following a late restart.

It was Creed’s second victory of the season - both coming in the last five weeks. This one helped Creed bounce back from consecutive poor showings, a 26th-place finish in Kansas and a 30th in Michigan.

Moffitt got to his rear bumper several times over the final two laps, but Creed managed to hold off his teammate at every turn.

Raphael Lessard was a career-best third, followed by Crafton and Austin Hill.

COLLEGE SPORTS

NEW YORK (AP) - The NCAA’s chief medical officer says there is a narrow path to playing college sports during the coronavirus pandemic and if testing nationwide does not improve, it cannot be done.

Meanwhile, one of college football’s biggest stars sent out a petition Sunday, calling on the Big Ten to play football this fall.

Dr. Brian Hainline told CNN late Saturday that “everything would have to line up perfectly” for college sports to be played this fall. Much of the fall college sports season has been canceled, with conferences hoping to make up competitions, including football, in the spring.

But not everyone has accepted those decisions.

On Sunday morning, Big Ten football players continued to push the conference to overturn its cancellation of the fall season. Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, a Heisman Trophy finalist last season, Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth and other players posted on Twitter an online petition requesting the Big Ten reinstate the schedule the conference released six days before it pulled the plug.

Player parent groups from Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State and Nebraska have sent letters to Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren asking for the conference to reverse course and seeking more transparency into the decision.

NFL

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) - Quarterback Alex Smith was activated off the physically unable to perform list by Washington’s NFL team Sunday, the latest step in a remarkable recovery after his right leg was broken in two places during a game nearly two years ago.

The move means that Smith now is allowed to participate in Washington’s padded practices when the team can move to that phase of training camp Tuesday.

It could make for an interesting dynamic at QB, where Washington also has Dwayne Haskins, its 2019 first-round draft pick, and free-agent addition Kyle Allen.

The 36-year-old Smith is signed through 2022. He hasn’t played since November 2018, when his right fibula and tibia broke when Smith was hit during a loss to the Houston Texans.

NHL

BOSTON (AP) - Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask has opted out of the team’s playoff run to be with his family.

The defending Eastern Conference champions announced the decision Saturday morning, less than two hours before Game 3 of their playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes at Toronto.

A Vezina Trophy finalist who won the NHL’s top goaltender award in 2014, Rask is the highest-profile player to opt out of the return to play from the coronavirus pandemic shutdown. After leading Boston to the Stanley Cup Final last season, he led the NHL with a 2.12 goals-against average and was second in save percentage and shutouts.