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)

SEPANG, Malaysia (AP) — Max Verstappen qualified on pole position for the first time this year at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on a rare off day for Mercedes and Formula 1 standings leader Kimi Antonelli.

Verstappen went fastest by 0.298 of a second from Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, with Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar .130 further back in third.

It was an “incredible result for us looking at the season,” Verstappen said. “I felt good, felt confident and I hope we can show that again tomorrow.”

Verstappen won the last time F1 raced at the Sepang circuit back in 2017. His pole position is the first this year for a car powered by a non-Mercedes engine.

Antonelli qualified only fourth, with his Mercedes teammate and closest title challenger George Russell only eighth. Both are set to move up a place on the grid for Sunday's race because Hadjar has a five-place grid penalty for changing his engine over the allocation for the season.

Hamilton's second place came as a relief to the seven-time champion amid a slump in results at Ferrari, which has denied speculation over team principal Fred Vasseur's future.

“Let’s go guys, let’s go. Finally,” Hamilton said over the radio.

Once again, the weather in Malaysia stayed dry for Saturday's sessions despite predictions of heavy rain earlier in the week.

F1 is racing at Malaysia's Sepang circuit for the first time since 2017. It's a replacement event after the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were called off earlier this year due to the Iran war. The race keeps Bahrain Grand Prix branding and Bahraini staff are organizing it on site.

See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain drinks after the qualifying session ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Second fastest time Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain waves to spectators after the qualifying session ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, pole position, talks with his teammate Isack Hadjar of France, third fastest time after the qualifying session ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands prepares during the third practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the qualifying session ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)