Top shot
Holmes holds nerve to sink Mickelson in playoff
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona: J.B. Holmes lost his nerve and found it in the nick of time to beat Phil Mickelson in a playoff and win the Phoenix Open in thrilling style on Sunday.
Big-hitting Holmes, ranked 197th, birdied the 18th hole to force a playoff against the world No 2 and he repeated the feat following another massive drive to seal victory.
Charles Warren was a shot behind in third and five players were tied for fourth on 12 under: Australians Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington and Americans Kevin Na, Kevin Sutherland and Ben Crane.
Overnight leader Holmes struggled in his final round with four bogeys, allowing world No 2 Mickelson to reach the clubhouse in front.
Mickelson fired five birdies for a 4-under-par 67, saving his best for late in the round.
A superb second shot helped him to a birdie on the 15th and a tie of the lead and on the 17th a magnificent 298-yard tee shot and precise chip left him with a five-foot putt for a birdie that gave him the lead.
Defoe called up to England squad after Agbonlahor injury
LONDON: Portsmouth's new signing Jermain Defoe has been called up to the England squad for next week's friendly against Switzerland after Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor withdrew injured.
Striker Defoe, who joined Portsmouth from Tottenham Hotspur on the last day of the January transfer window, was left out of Fabio Capello's initial 30-man squad, which was trimmed down to 23 on Saturday.
Agbonlahor was in line to win his first cap at Wembley on Wednesday but limped out of Aston Villa's 2-1 loss at Fulham on Sunday.
"Following his injury today Gabriel Agbonlahor has withdrawn from the England squad and will not be required to report. Jermain Defoe has been called up this evening," the FA said on its website (www.thefa.com).
Defoe, who has 26 England caps, scored in his Portsmouth debut on Saturday in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea, although the club admitted the 25-year-old's transfer was initially only a loan deal.
Del Piero, Cassano ommitted from Italy squad
ROME: Veteran striker Alessandro Del Piero and in-form striker Antonio Cassano were the surprise ommissions from coach Roberto Donadoni's 20-man squad to face Portugal in a friendly in Zurich, Switzerland on Wednesday.
Del Piero has been in fine form for Juventus this season but he did not make the cut for the reduced squad for a Euro 2008 warm-up.
Cassano's fans have been clamoring for him to be included again, after more than a year in the international wilderness, but despite his goal-scoring feats at Sampdoria this season, he too failed to earn a call-up.
Also out of the squad is injured AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, who missed Milan's trip to Fiorentina on Sunday, while his club team-mate forward Alberto Gilardino and Juventus striker Vincenzo Iaquinta were both dropped.
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon also misses out with injury.
Pato fires Milan closer to Champions League
ROME: Teenage Brazilian star Pato fired a late winner in a 1-0 win at Fiorentina on Sunday to boost AC Milan's hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League.
The victory moved the reigning European champion up to fifth in the table, just four points behind the Viola in fourth, and with a game in hand.
City rival Inter, however, stayed on course to retain its title after a 1-0 win over Empoli allowed it to open up an eight-point gap at the top.
Second-placed Roma slumped to a miserable 3-0 loss at lively Siena to undo all the good work it managed last weekend in cutting the gap at the top from seven to five points.
Despite the victory, Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti is worried about his attacking resources as Pato injured ankle ligaments and faces a spell on the sidelines while Alberto Gilardino will be suspended next week.
"Now we have an attacking emergency, Gilardino and Pato won't play next Sunday. We hope to get Ronaldo and (Filippo) Inzaghi back," said Ancelotti.
(China Daily 02/05/2008 page22)
