Patrick Reed stands on the South Course while holding his trophy for winning the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines on Sunday in San Diego. Gregory Bull/Associated Press
GOLF
Showing no effects from a rules controversy a day earlier, Patrick Reed pulled away for a five-shot victory Sunday in the Farmers Insurance Open at San Diego.
Reed closed with a 4-under 68 at Torrey Pines, making an eagle on the par-5 sixth and finishing off his ninth PGA Tour title with a birdie on the 18th.
The former Masters champions finished at 14 under after a consistent four days at the blufftop municipal courses overlooking the Pacific Ocean. He shared the first-round lead with Alex Noren, was in a group one shot off the lead in the second round and then shared the third-round lead with Carlos Ortiz.
The controversy arose Saturday on the par-4 10th when Reed hit a 190-yard shot out of a bunker with a TV replay showing the ball bounced once before settling into the rough. Without waiting for an official, Reed picked up the ball to see if it was embedded. Reed told the official that no one in his group, as well as a nearby volunteer, saw it bounce. He was awarded a free drop and saved par in a round of 70.
On Sunday, Reed jump-started his round with a 45-foot eagle putt on the No. 6 to get to 12 under and followed with a birdie on the par-4 seventh. His only bogey was on the par-3 eighth, and he rebounded with a birdie on the par-5 ninth. He played par the rest of the way until sinking an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 18.
Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Ryan Palmer, Henrik Norlander and Viktor Hovland tied for second.
EUROPEAN TOUR: Paul Casey won the Dubai Desert Classic for his 15th European Tour title, closing with a 2-under 70 for a four-stroke victory.
Casey finished at 17-under-par 271 at Emirates Golf Club.
South Africa’s Brandon Stone was second after a 72. Scotland’s Robert Macintyre had a 74 to finish third at 12 under.
BASEBALL
MAJORS: The Minnesota Twins finalized an $10.5 million, one-year contract with shortstop Andrelton Simmons, enhancing their infield defense for 2021 as they seek a third straight AL Central division title and attempt to stop their record postseason losing streak.
Simmons agreed to the deal earlier in the week.
LUGE
WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Julia Taubitz led a German sweep of the medals and Austria closed the meet by winning the team relay title at Konigssee, Germany.
Taubitz was first, Natalie Geisenberger second and Dajana Eitberger third for the medal sweep in the women’s race. It was Germany’s first 1-2-3 finish in the women’s overall race since 2008; the Germans also went 1-2-3 in the women’s sprint race on Saturday.
Austria’s team of Madeleine Egle, David Gleirscher and Thomas Steu and Lorenz Koller took the gold in the relay, followed by Germany and Latvia.
For USA Luge, Summer Britcher was sixth and Emily Sweeney, who was born in Portland and attended school in Falmouth before moving to Suffield, Connecticut, was seventh in the women’s title race, with Ashley Farquharson 12th and Brittney Arndt 19th. The Americans just missed a medal in the relay, with the team of Britcher, Tucker West and the doubles sled of Chris Mazdzer and Jayson Terdiman finishing fourth.
Germany won 12 of the 21 medals handed out at the world championships, including four of the seven golds.
Luge’s World Cup season ends next weekend in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
SKIING
MEN’S WORLD CUP: Henrik Kristoffersen defied worsening course conditions in the second run of a slalom at Chamonix, France, to land his second victory of the season.
Most of the top-ranked racers from the opening leg struggled on the rapidly deteriorating La Verte des Houches course, with the surface getting softer and softer as the sun came out in the afternoon after days of rain.
Kristoffersen was the last racer on course but managed to hold on to his first-run lead as he battled his way through the ruts.
The Norwegian beat Ramon Zenhausern by 0.28 seconds and another Swiss skier, Sandro Simonet, by 0.66. Simonet improved from 30th position after the opening run as he benefited from his early start in the final.
Overall World Cup leader Alexis Pinturault, who was second after the opening run, shared eighth place with Manfred Molgg, who improved from 27th.
WOMEN’S DOWNHILL: Olympic downhill champion Sofia Goggia will miss the world championships in February after breaking a bone in her right knee on Sunday.
The Italian ski federation said Goggia fell while skiing down to the valley with other competitors after a World Cup super-G in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, was postponed until Monday because of fog.
FISI said examinations at La Madonnina clinic in Milan on Sunday evening revealed Goggia suffered “a compound fracture of the lateral tibial plateau of the right knee.”
It was not immediately clear how long Goggia will be out.
Goggia was a strong favorite for the Feb. 13 downhill at the worlds in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. She has been the dominating force in downhill this season, winning the last four races in the discipline.
SOCCER
BARCELONA: Lionel Messi’s most recent contract with Barcelona is worth up to 555 million euros ($673 million) over four seasons, the El Mundo newspaper reported.
The Spanish daily said it had access to the document Messi signed with the Catalan club in 2017, which included fixed incomes and variables that could reach nearly 138 million euros ($167 million) each season. The newspaper said it is the most expensive contract ever agreed with an athlete in any sport.
Messi would have to pay about half of that in taxes in Spain.
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