SPORTS MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013 Europe win Seve Trophy FRANCE: Europe won the Seve Trophy yesterday for the first time since 2000 when they edged a suspense-filled match 15-13 against Great Britain and Ireland at the Saint-Nom-La-Breteche Golf Club. Francesco Molinari sealed a dramatic win when he hit a fine tee shot within 12 feet of the pin at the par 3, 16th and then sunk his putt to defeat Englishman Chris Wood 3 and 2. Europe were leading 14-13 and needing just a half point for victory, and Molinari, who also sunk the winnning putt to give Europe the Ryder Cup last year at Medinah, again showed nerves of steel under pressure. The Milan right-hander’s birdie lifted Europe to a 15-13 victory. “I don’t like all these matches finishing on the last game, one of these days my heart isn’t going to take it anymore,” joked European captain Jose Maria Olazabal. BEIJING: China’s Feng Shanshan (left) receives her cheque for $ 270,000 from Yan Bin, “This tournament is really close to my heart chairman of Reignwood Group after winning the Reignwood LPGA Classic golf tour- and this tournament was very close to Seve nament. — AP (Ballesteros). He created it and had great hopes for this event and that it would become a big Feng bags Reignwood Classic event on the European Tour. “Great Britain have had a great run, six editions in a row, they BEIJING: China’s Shanshan Feng eagled the for the pin, causing the gallery to erupt in showed how it should be done and we’re just par-5 18th hole after her second shot cheers when the ball hit the flag and glad it was our turn this time.” added the approach hit the pin for a 68 yesterday and bounded several feet away. “Suddenly I Spaniard, who formed the most successful part- a one-stroke victory in the smog-affected heard the noise, the crowd was excited, so I nership in Ryder Cup history with the late Ballesteros. ST. ANDREWS: David Howell (right) with partner actor Hugh Grant after Howell was presented Reignwood Classic, the LPGA’s first tourna- thought it must be good,” she said. with the trophy after winning the 2013 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. — AP ment in Beijing. Despite her first win being a major, Feng Losing captain Sam Torrance vowed to learn American Stacy Lewis birdied four of her said Sunday’s win in Beijing was as impor- from the experience. “Congratulations to Jose Dutchman Joost Luiten in the pairs before win- Luiten who also had a chance to make it a first six holes to quickly catch overnight tant. “I would say I’m as happy as when I Maria, Captain Fantastic. His team were brilliant ning his singles match in style on Sunday by perfect five from five but came up against an in- leader Feng and led for most of the final won last year,” she said. “It was our first time this week, we gave it everything but they were defeating Scott Jamieson 4 and 3. Bourdy is form Tommy Fleetwood of England and was round by one stroke before the Chinese in Beijing, the tournament sponsor is also too strong,” said the Scot. “The taste of defeat is attempting to become only the third Frenchman beaten 3 and 2. golfer thrilled the local gallery with her late my sponsor. So I really wanted to do well to never nice but we will learn from that and take it to play at the Ryder Cup next year under captain However convincing wins by Spaniard Miguel eagle after Lewis had putted out with a par. make them look good. I also broke my low- forward.” Frenchman Gregory Bourdy, who was Paul McGinley, as he tries to follow in the foot- Angel Jimenez and Italian Matteo Manassero, as It was Feng’s second career victory - she est score for four rounds, and gave it my playing his first Seve Trophy, was one of the stars steps of Thomas Levet and Jean Van de Velde. well as a crucial point picked up by Ryder Cup won last year’s Wegmans LPGA best.” for Olazabal’s team, when he set a new tourna- His victory earlier this year at the Wales Open winner Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium, did the Championship, a tour major. She’s had an For most of the tournament, the players ment record by becoming the first player to win and his historic showing at Saint-Nom-la- damage. outstanding 2013, making 14 cuts in 15 couldn’t escape the capital’s notorious pol- all five of his matches. Breteche makes him a strong contender to Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano’s tournaments with six other top 10 finishes lution - there was another smog delay of Europe ended a losing streak of six tourna- appear at Gleneagles against the USA. halved match against Welshman Jamie and earning $800,000. nearly three hours before the final round ments dating back to 2000 when Ballesteros “I’m so happy to achieve that and it was an Donaldson and another halved match between Feng finished with a 26-under total of started Sunday. Germany’s Sandra Gal was captained Olazabal and the side to victory over amazing week for me,” said Bourdy. “It was great injured Englishman Simon Khan and Dane 266 on the par-73 Pine Valley Golf Club. one of several players wearing surgical- Colin Montgomerie’s team. to play in front of my French crowd and in Saint- Thomas Bjorn, also played a role but it was Lewis also shot a final-round 68. No. 1- style masks. Bourdy, the 31-year-old Bordeaux native, Nom-la-Breteche, it’s a great course and I love to Molinari again who had the glory of sinking the ranked Inbee Park of South Korea finished Six expressways were closed in the city racked up four wins out of four alongside play in team events.” winning putt. — AFP third, also after a 68 Sunday, five strokes due to reduced visibility Sunday and the behind Feng. Australian veteran Karrie U.S. Embassy in Beijing issued a warning Webb shot 67 and was fourth, another that hazardous air quality readings meant stroke behind. American citizens should “avoid all physical Feng said that when she was going up activities outdoors.” the 18th, she thought Lewis would go for American Jessica Korda, who led after the green. “So I thought maybe she’s giving the second round, had an even-par 74 me a chance for playing off,” Feng said. “I Sunday after a 76 Saturday dropped her never thought I would shoot the second from the leaderboard. She finished the shot so close that I could make eagle.” tournament in a tie for 15th, 16 strokes Her approach to the green was on line behind Feng. — AP Henry and Young lead Lakers past Warriors ONTARIO: Xavier Henry and his fellow Lakers Henry scored 14 points in the fourth, newcomers realize they’ve got a chance to punctuating an impressive debut after sign- take charge while Los Angeles’ veteran stars ing with the Lakers as a free agent last take it easy this month. month. The three-year NBA veteran was a Henry scored 29 points, Nick Young 12th overall pick, but never found a role added 17 and the Lakers earned their first amid injuries and inactivity with Memphis preseason victory in nearly three years, 104- and New Orleans. 95 over the Golden State Warriors on “When you move around, you never get Saturday night. your feet under you,” Henry said. “When you Chris Kaman had 10 points and 10 have an equal opportunity like this, I’m just rebounds for the Lakers, who had lost 10 trying to show what I can do.” straight exhibition games, including all eight Gasol and Nash are expected to play for last season. Los Angeles hadn’t won a pre- the Lakers on Sunday night at Staples Center season game since Oct. 22, 2010, also in against Denver. The stars’ absence was one Ontario against the Warriors - not that coach reason the teams fell far short of a sellout Mike D’Antoni thought the mark had any- crowd at Citizens Business Bank Arena in the thing to do with his revamped club. Inland Empire, an hour’s drive east from “It’s early, anybody can win,” D’Antoni said. downtown Los Angeles. Nasser Al-Mutairi wins Red “It doesn’t mean a whole lot, (but) the whole Klay Thompson scored 26 points on 11- thing is energizing.” The Lakers’ preseason for-18 shooting, and Andre Iguodala had 15 struggles last fall were an eerie foreshadow- points while missing just one shot in his first ing of their difficult year. Los Angeles went 0- action with the Warriors, who signed him to Bull Car Park Drift in Kuwait 8 in exhibitions under coach Mike Brown, a four-year, $48 million deal in July. who was fired after a 1-4 start to the regular Harrison Barnes and David Lee scored 10 season. points apiece, while Stephen Curry had five Sami Haidar qualifies with Al-Mutairi Steve Nash and Pau Gasol sat out the points in 14 quiet minutes. The Warriors’ exhibition opener for the Lakers, who will starting five fell behind 7-0 before scoring 15 attempt to preserve their aging core’s health consecutive points. Iguodala immediately to represent Kuwait in Dubai all season long. Kobe Bryant isn’t even in the showed off his post-up game and his ball- country while undergoing medical treat- handling versatility in the first quarter, scor- KUWAIT: Nothing could stop Nasser Al Mutairi from winning the Red Bull The 2013 series kicked off in the UAE and then moved to KSA, Jordan, ment in Europe, but Nash watched the game ing nine points.