Nelly Korda wins The Chevron to return to No. 1. Fitzpatrick brothers take Zurich Classic

HOUSTON (AP) — Nelly Korda won The Chevron Championship on Sunday with a performance worthy of her return to No. 1 in women’s golf.

Staked to a five-shot lead at the start, Korda was efficient as ever and no one could get closer than four shots all afternoon at Memorial Park. She closed with a 2-under 70 for a five-shot victory to capture the third major of her career.

The victory was her 17th on the LPGA and 21st worldwide, and it was enough for the 27-year-old American star to move back to the top of the women’s world ranking for the first time since August.

Korda not only won wire-to-wire, it was never really a contest. She hit 5-iron to 5 feet for birdie on her 16th hole of the opening round Thursday to take the lead and never trailed again.

She celebrated in the best manner possible — a cannon ball into the 4 1/2-foot pool built to the right of the 18th green to keep with the tradition at this major that dates to 1988 when the winner jumped into Poppie’s Pond at Mission Hills in the California desert.

Korda finished at 18-under 270, one short of Dottie Pepper’s 1999 tournament record at Mission Hills. Ruoning Yin (69) and Patty Tavatanakit (70) tied for second.

AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Matt Fitzpatrick and younger brother Alex combined for a 1-under 71 in alternate- shot play on Sunday, to pull out a drama-filled, single-stroke victory in the Zurich Classic and usher the younger Fitzpatrick onto the PGA Tour through 2028.

After the Englishmen had lost a four-stroke lead on the back nine, Matt Fitzpatrick, the third-ranked player in the world, stuck a bunker shot on the par-5 18th a foot from the hole.

The 27-year-old Alex Fitzpatrick, a European tour regular, smiled and put his hand on his head as he went to mark the ball, knowing a chance to alter the course of his golf career would be in his own hand.

He made the putt, crouched and put one hand over his face, and then rose to embrace his older brother.

Watching from the clubhouse were the teams tied at 30-under: Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer; and Kristoffer Reitan and Kris Ventura. As the Fitzpatricks celebrated, their bids for a first PGA Tour victory ended.

SHANGHAI (AP) — Bernd Wiesberger of Austria played bogey-free Sunday and closed with a 4-under 67 to overcome Adrian Otaegui of Spain and win the China Open, his first victory since returning two years ago from Saudi-backed LIV Golf.

Wiesberger, who qualified for the 2021 Ryder Cup, avoided the mistakes that cost Otaegui. The Spaniard had a three-shot lead on the back nine only to drop shots on both par 3s at Shanghai Enhance Anting Golf Club.

Otaegui came to the par-5 18th needing birdie to force a playoff and hit his tee shot into a bush to the right. He wound up with a double bogey for a 71 to finish three shots behind.

Wiesberger finished on 19-under 265 for his ninth career European title, and first since winning in Denmark in 2021 that helped him make the Ryder Cup team that year. He was among the first players to join Saudi-backed LIV Golf in 2022 and played two seasons before his contract ended.

DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — Retief Goosen won the PGA Tour Champion’s Mitsubishi Electric Classic on Sunday at TPC Sugarloaf, 24 years after he took the PGA Tour’s BellSouth Classic on the course.

Goosen closed with a 14-point round under the modified Stableford scoring system to beat Stephen Ames by two points. The 57-year-old South African won for the fifth time in 150 starts on the senior tour.

Goosen birdied the par-5 18th to finish with 39 points. Players received eight points for an albatross, five for eagle and two for birdie. They lost a point for bogey and three for double bogey or worse.

Ames had 19 points in the final round. Second-round leader Zach Johnson was third at 36 after an eight-point day.

Local favorite Stewart Cink, the Senior PGA winner last week for his third victory of the year, was fourth at 35 after a 19-point round.

Jeongwoo Ham closed with a 3-under 68 for a two-shot victory over Cameron John of Australia in the Singapore Open on the Asian Tour. Both earned a spot in the British Open this summer at Royal Birkdale. ... Ren Yonezawa closed with a 5-under 67 and birdied the first playoff hole to defeat Younghan Song in the Maezawa Cup on the Japan Golf Tour. ... Esme Hamilton of England played bogey-free on the back nine for a 2-under 71 to win the Investec South African Women's Open by two shots over Cara Gainer on the Ladies European Tour. ... Patrick Flavin closed with a 4-under 67 for a two-shot victory in the 94 Abierto del Centro Zurich on the PGA Tour Americas. ... Amari Avery made only two birdies but was bogey-free in the final round for a 2-under 70. She won the IOA Classic in Beaumont, California, for her first Epson Tour victory when Nika Ito had two bogeys and two double bogeys over the final five holes.

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

Alex Fitzpatrick, right, of England, reacts after sinking a birdie putt and winning the tournament with his brother Matt Fitzpatrick, left, during the final round of the PGA Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Avondale, La. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)

Alex Fitzpatrick, right, of England, reacts after sinking a birdie putt and winning the tournament with his brother Matt Fitzpatrick, left, during the final round of the PGA Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Avondale, La. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)

Nelly Korda poses with the trophy after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Nelly Korda celebrates by jumping in the water after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nelly Korda celebrates after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

DENVER (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets have developed an intense rivalry, meeting in the NBA playoffs three times in the last four years.

The Nuggets bounced the Wolves 4-1 in 2023 on their way to the franchise's first NBA championship but Minnesota won the rematch a year later, capped by a 20-point second-half comeback in Game 7 in Denver.

This year the Nuggets rolled into the playoffs on a 12-game winning streak and handled the Timberwolves in the opener of their Western Conference playoff series only to blow a 19-point lead in Game 2 before getting throttled twice in Minneapolis.

Even with their starting backcourt of Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) and Anthony Edwards (knee) getting hurt Saturday night, the Wolves raced past the Nuggets 112-96 behind Ayo Dosunmu's career-best 43 points, the most by a reserve in a playoff game in half a century.

Game 5 is in Denver and another flop could send the Nuggets into a stunning early exit and an offseason of change after an injury-marred first full season under coach David Adelman, who has had no answers for the Nuggets' sudden struggles.

The Minnesota-Denver game is the nightcap of a three-game slate Monday, one that also could see the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder get their third consecutive first-round sweep. The Thunder lead Phoenix 3-0, with Game 4 on the Suns’ home floor.

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, was a maestro in Game 3, scoring 42 points on 15-for-18 shooting.

“He doesn’t need a ton of direction from me,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said of Gilgeous-Alexander. “But I thought he was obviously outstanding. The efficiency was ridiculous. For him to score like that, on 15 of 18, is a really impressive game.”

And leading off the night is Game 4 in Orlando, where the eighth-seeded Magic will aim to take a 3-1 lead over the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal matchup.

“Being up 2-1 at home is a good thing, but again, you got to come out and do it again,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said after Saturday’s Game 3 win. “And that’s why I’ll keep saying it’s the one game. ... We’ve got to learn from this game and what we could do better.”

The only fight the Nuggets have put up since their series-opening win came when Nikola Jokic took offense to Jaden McDaniels scoring an uncontested layup with 2.1 seconds left after the Nuggets had conceded their double-digit defeat Saturday night.

Jokic ran from one end of the court to the other to shove McDaniels, who labeled all of the Nuggets bad defenders after Game 2. Players from both teams converged around them to broaden the scuffle. Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, who was livid with Jokic, was ejected along with Denver’s center.

“He scored when we’d stopped playing,” Jokic explained. “You guys saw what happened.”

On Sunday, the NBA fined Jokic $50,000 for initiating the dustup and Minnesota's Julius Randle $35,000 for escalating the altercation.

Both will be eligible to play when the series resumes Monday night in Denver.

The Nuggets have long odds to bounce back and advance. In NBA history, only 13 of 298 teams facing a 3-1 deficit came back to win the series. The last team to do it? The Nuggets in 2020, against both the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers.

When/Where to watch: Game 5: 10:30 p.m. EDT (NBC Peacock)

Series: Wolves lead, 3-1

Betting line: Nuggets by 10 1/2

What to Know: DiVincenzo’s season is over with an Achilles tendon injury and Edwards is facing a long recovery from a bone bruise and hyperextended knee. ... The Nuggets were the highest-scoring team in the NBA this season and were held under 100 points just twice, back in January. But they managed just 96 points in both of their losses in Minneapolis.

When/Where to watch: Game 4, 8 p.m. EDT (NBC Peacock, NBC Sports)

Series: Magic leads, 2-1

Betting line: Pistons by 2 1/2

What to Know: Behind 25 points each from Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane, the Magic beat the Pistons Saturday. It’s the 13th time since 1984, when the NBA went to the 16-team format, that a No. 8 seed has taken a 2-1 lead in a first-round series over a No. 1 seed. Of the previous 12, five finished off the upset: Miami in 2023, Philadelphia in 2012, Memphis in 2011, Golden State in 2007 and New York in 1999.

When/Where to watch: Game 4, 9:30 p.m. EDT (NBC Peacock)

Series: Thunder lead, 3-0

Betting line: Thunder by 10 1/2

What to Know: Devin Booker should be ready to play in Game 4 when the Suns try to avoid a four-game sweep after leaving Game 3 briefly because of a left ankle injury he sustained after tripping over Lu Dort’s foot. The five-time All-Star returned a few minutes later and said he was fine. Booker said he thought Dort stuck out his foot a little on the play, but didn’t know if it was on purpose.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) sits on the court after sustaining an injury during the first half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards grabs his knee after an injury during the first half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu, left, celebrates with center Naz Reid, right, after making a 3-point basket during the second half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) works toward the basket as Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, right, defends during the first half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)