Bhatia wins Arnold Palmer Invitational in playoff. Rahm takes LIV Golf Hong Kong to end drought

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Arnold Palmer was famous for saying, “You must play boldly to win,” and Akshay Bhatia followed that script Sunday to a stunning comeback and playoff victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Bhatia started his back-nine charge with four straight birdies. He nearly holed his 6-iron that went right at the flag on the par-5 16th to set up eagle. And he outlasted Daniel Berger with a par on the first extra hole to win at Bay Hill.

“You just never know what can happen in this game,” Bhatia said after he closed with a 3-under 69 and won his third PGA Tour title, all of them in playoffs.

This was the biggest, a $20 million signature event that moves the 24-year-old into the top 20 in the world at the start of a big stretch in golf that concludes with the Masters next month.

Berger looked like he had this won, walking confidently after shots in building a four-shot lead at the turn. He lost the lead by missing a 7-foot par putt on the 17th hole and showed plenty of moxie just to get into the playoff with an up-and-down from 70 yards for par on the final hole for a 70.

They finished at 15-under 273, the first playoff at Bay Hill since 1999.

HONG KONG (AP) — Jon Rahm of Spain closed with a 6-under 64 to win LIV Golf Hong Kong on Sunday for his first individual title since 2024.

Rahm finished at 23-under 257, three shots ahead of Thomas Detry. The Spaniard hadn’t won a title since LIV Golf Chicago in 2024, though he won the season points title each of the last two years on the Saudi-funded league.

Rahm pulled away with four straight birdies on the back nine and Detry couldn't keep up. Rahm had a five-shot lead going to the 18th and made bogey while Detry made birdie.

Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces GC took the team prize.

HAINAN ISLAND, China (AP) — Mi Hyang Lee threw away her lead with two double bogeys on the front nine, and then delivered a winner on the final hole Sunday with a lob wedge that hit the pin and set up a tap-in birdie to win the Blue Bay LPGA by one shot.

Lee closed with a 1-over 73 for a one-shot victory over Zhang Weiwei, who shot 69 at Jian Lake Blue Bay but lost the lead with a bogey on the 17th. It was Lee’s third LPGA title, and her first in more than eight years.

The South Korean finished at 11-under 277 for her first win since the 2017 Women’s Scottish Open.

Auston Kim (71) stayed in contention for a LPGA title for the second consecutive week and made three birdies over the last five holes to tie for third with Aditi Ashok (72) of India.

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico (AP) — Ricky Castillo made back-to-back birdies right after 18-year-old Blades Brown came undone with one bad hole, closing with a 5-under 67 on Sunday to win the Puerto Rico Open for his first PGA Tour title.

Brown, trying to become the youngest PGA Tour winner in 95 years, had a one-shot lead with six holes to play when he went from bunker to water and made triple bogey on the 13th.

Castillo, playing in the final group behind Brown, holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 13th, and then hit a beautiful pitch over the mounds to 5 feet for birdie on the par-4 14th.

Castillo narrowly missed out — by 11 points in the FedEx Cup standings — on getting into the $20 million signature event at Bay Hill this week. The victory in Puerto Rico gets him into the PGA Championship. He already was eligible for The Players Championship next week.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Dan Bradbury of England hit a beautiful chip from behind the 18th green to save par Sunday for a 5-under 65 and a one-shot victory in the Joburg Open, his second time winning the tournament and third European tour title.

His clutch par denied Casey Jarvis of South Africa a chance to join Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros as the only players in European tour history to win three consecutive tournaments. Jarvis narrowly missed a birdie putt that could have forced a playoff. He shot 66.

Brandon Robinson Thompson was tied for the lead, playing one group ahead of Bradbury, when he three-putted the 18th green from about 45 feet for a bogey that gave him a 66.

Hennie Du Plessis, the 54-hole leader, shot 31 on the front nine but had a pair of bogeys and a double bogey on the back for a 70 to finish fourth.

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Two-time major champion Zach Johnson turned 50 on Feb. 24 and quickly cashed in Sunday in his PGA Tour Champions debut, closing with a 3-under 69 for a four-shot victory in the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational.

Johnson made an early bogey and that was his only blemish on the scorecard, adding four birdies to pull away on the Old Course at Broken Sound. He became the 22nd player to win his debut on the 50-and-older circuit. Stewart Cink (70) and George McNeill (72) finished second.

Johnson finished at 11-under 205 and earned $330,000 to move to No. 3 in the Charles Schwab Cup. Cink remains atop the standings.

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Doc Redman won the Astara Chile Classic on Sunday for his first Korn Ferry Tour title, closing with a 4-under 67 for a five-stroke victory.

Redman moved to fourth on the season points list, winning in his 52nd tour start. The 2017 U.S. Amateur winner finished at 19-under 265 at Prince of Wales Country Club to match the tournament record set last year by Logan McAllister.

Cooper Dossey (68) and Michael Johnson (69) tied for second. Argentine amateur Segundo Oliva Pinto had a 67 to tie for fourth at 13 under. He tied for seventh last week in the Argentina Open.

Isabella Fierro closed with a 5-under 67 to win the Atlantic Beach Classic, the season opener on the Epson Tour. Fierro finished four shots ahead of fellow Mexican player Maria Fassi (65), Kaitlyn Papp Budde (69) and Annabelle Pancake-Webb (72) in a tournament that ended Saturday. ... Travis Smyth closed with a 5-under 67 and defeated Jack Thompson (64) with a birdie on the sixth playoff hole to win the ISPS Handa Japan-Australasia Championship at Royal Auckland in New Zealand. ... Kelsey Bennett closed with a 1-under 71 in conditions so severe only three players broke par. She won the Australian Women’s Classic by four shots, earning a spot in the Women’s British Open this summer. ... Shuri Sakuma closed with a 2-under 70 for a one-shot victory over Kana Nagai in the Daikin Orchid Ladies, the season opener on the Japan LPGA.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Captain Jon Rahm of Legion XIII hits his shot during the third round of LIV Golf tournament, Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Fanling, Hong Kong. (LIV Golf via AP)

Akshay Bhatia poses with the championship trophy after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill golf tournament Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Akshay Bhatia looks at the championship trophy as he dons a red cardigan sweater after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill golf tournament Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Daniel Berger reacts after his hit on the 18th hole during his playoffs against Akshay Bhatia at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill golf tournament Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Akshay Bhatia reacts at the 18th hole after winning his playoff against Daniel Berger in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill golf tournament Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The Raiders have the most salary-cap space in the NFL, and they are spending like it.

Las Vegas agreed to deals with multiple players Monday to give first-year coach Klint Kubiak a running start in turning around a franchise that went 3-14 last season and hasn't won a playoff game in more than two decades.

Several people familiar with the contractual details confirmed the agreements and their terms to The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the contracts weren't finalized.

Among the agreements:

— Three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum agreed to a three-year, $81 million contract with $60 million guaranteed. He spent his first four seasons in Baltimore.

— Linebacker Quay Walker, who exceeded 100 tackles in all four seasons in Green Bay, agreed to a three-year, $40.5 million contract with $28 million guaranteed.

— Linebacker Nakobe Dean, who had four sacks in 10 games last season in Philadelphia, reached terms on a three-year, $36 million contract with $20 million guaranteed.

— Wide receiver Jalen Nailor agreed to three-year, $35 million deal with $23 million guaranteed.

— Cornerback Eric Stokes re-signed with the Raiders for three years and $30 million, with $20 million guaranteed. The club announced the deal, but did not provide terms.

Second-year general manager John Spytek didn't waste time in using all his assets to spark a turnaround. The Raiders also enter next season with their third coach in three years and hope to end that trend.

The Raiders entered free agency with nearly $112 million in cap space, according to overthecap.com. They also have the No. 1 overall draft pick, and are widely expected to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, as well as the 14th selection after agreeing to trade defensive end Maxx Crosby to Baltimore on Friday.

Las Vegas also is expected to cut veteran quarterback Geno Smith.

The deal for Linderbaum, at $27 million per year, makes him the highest-paid interior offensive lineman, according to overthecap.com.

Landing Linderbaum is a massive get for the Raiders, whose offensive line struggled through injuries and subpar play. Las Vegas allowed an NFL-high 64 sacks last season and was last in rushing yards per game (77.5) and per attempt (3.57).

It didn't help that the Raiders' best lineman, left tackle Kolton Miller, played just four games before going on season-ending injured reserve after hurting his ankle.

With Miller expected back to play alongside Linderbaum, the Raiders have two major pieces to build around. Pro Football Focus rated Linderbaum the fifth-best center among 40 at that position.

The Raiders also get back third-year interior lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson, who has dealt with injuries and inconsistency but could have a high ceiling. He lost the center job in training camp to Jordan Meredith last season and switched to guard. The Raiders released guard Alex Cappa on Friday, clearing the way for Powers-Johnson to take hold of the position.

“Can’t wait to get to work,” Powers-Johnson posted on social media in reaction to the Linderbaum agreement.

Walker and Dean are being brought in to help first-year defensive coordinator Rob Leonard's expected switch from a 4-3 to 3-4 defense. The Raiders' group of linebackers took a major hit last season when Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo left in free agency and weren't adequately replaced.

Signing with the Raiders represents a homecoming for Nailor, who played in high school at Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gorman. He spent all four seasons in Minnesota and comes off career highs of 29 catches for 444 yards. Nailor also caught four touchdown passes.

The Raiders likely remain in the hunt for a No. 1 wide receiver after trading Jakobi Meyers to Jacksonville in November. Their offense took a major hit without a receiver capable of taking pressure off tight end Brock Bowers. Nailor could be part of the equation of opening up the offense.

Stokes signed a one-year contract with the Raiders last season after spending his first four years in Green Bay. He started 16 games to give Las Vegas some stability at an otherwise shaky position, finishing with five pass breakups and 53 tackles. Both were his second-best career totals, behind his rookie-season numbers of 14 pass breakups and 55 tackles.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

FILE - Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker heads off the field after the second half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski,File)

FILE - Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Eric Stokes smiles after an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Dec. 21, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Maria Lysaker, file)

FILE - Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum in action during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Oct. 26, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams, file)