Pavin Holds Off Challenges, Wins Colonial by Two

Reigning U.S. Open champion Corey Pavin held off two challengers in a shootout Sunday and won the 50th Colonial by two strokes at Fort Worth, Texas.

Pavin had a one-under-par 69 for an eight-under total of 273. That was two strokes ahead of Jeff Sluman, who came from four shots back with a final-round 68 and briefly grabbed the lead late.

“There were a lot of ups and downs today,” Pavin said after securing his second Colonial title and his 14th on the PGA Tour. “Today was quite a day out there. A lot of strange things were happening. A lot of lead changes.”

Rocco Mediate, the 54-hole leader, started the day a shot ahead of Pavin, but dropped out of contention with a bogey at 17, posted a 73 and finished three back at 275.

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After finishing second the last two years, Bob Murphy shot a three-under-par 69 for a two-stroke victory in the $950,000 Cadillac NFL Senior Golf Classic at Clifton, N.J. Murphy, who never trailed after shooting a course record 62 in the opening round, went into the final round tied with Jay Sigel, the eventual runner-up after a 71.

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Stephen Ames of Trinidad and Tobago shot a final-round 72 to finish with a 283 total to win the Benson and Hedges International at Thame, England, on a day when 34 players shot 80 or more.

Running

Kenyan Thomas Osano won the 7 1/2-mile San Francisco Bay-to-Breakers race in 34 minutes, 35 seconds for his third victory in six years, and the sixth consecutive for his country. Another Kenyan, Lazarus Nyakeraka, finished second with a time of 34:37. The top woman finisher, Elana Meyer of South Africa, recorded a time of 38:56.

Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia ran the fastest 1,500-meter race of the year, winning in 3:34.64 at the Chemnitz Invitational in Germany.

Motor Sports

Olivier Panis of France gained his first career victory with a win at the Monaco Grand Prix after pole-sitter and two-time defending champion Michael Schumacher crashed on the first lap.

Joe Amato, John Force, Jim Yates and Dave Schultz won professional titles at the NHRA Mopar Parts Drag Racing Nationals in Englishtown, N.J.

Defending series champion Miguel DuHamel held on to a two bike-length lead in the final laps to win the AMA Superbike Challenge at Homestead, Fla.

Gymnastics

World champion Lilia Podkopayeva of Ukraine won two gold medals in the apparatus finals at the European gymnastic championships in England.

Miscellany

Anne Kursinski of Flemington, N.J. moved into a tie for the overall lead with Michael Matz of Collegeville, Pa., at U.S. Equestrian Team Olympic Show Jumping Trials at North Salem, N.Y.

Jockey Pat Day escaped injury after being thrown from his mount before the first race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, one day after he won his third consecutive Preakness Stakes.

A wake for radio talk-show host Chet Forte, who died Saturday of a heart attack at age 60, will be held Thursday, 4-8 p.m., at El Camino Memorial Park and Mortuary, 5600 Carroll Canyon Road, San Diego. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at the Church of Nativity in Rancho Santa Fe, with burial to follow at El Camino Memorial Park.

Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes defeated Randy Stoklos and Eduardo Bacil, 15-7, in the final of the $125,000 Miller Lite/AVP Pro Beach volleyball tournament at Indianapolis.

Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno defeated Barbra Harris and Linda Hanley, 15-9, in the title match of the Evian Women’s Pro Beach Volleyball tournament at San Diego.