IN BRIEF (Page 24)

Golf

Wagner wins Houston Open

HOUSTON: American Johnson Wagner won the Houston Open by two strokes after a final-round 71 on Sunday to earn a place in this week's US Masters.

Wagner, who fired a course record-tying 9-under-par 63 in the opening round, led wire-to-wire and finished with a 16-under total of 272 at Redstone Golf Club.

Australian Geoff Ogilvy, who fired a 68, and American Chad Campbell (72) were tied for second on 274 with American pair Fred Couples and Billy Mayfair one stroke further back.

"This is unbelievable," 28-year-old Wagner said in a televised interview after clinching his first US Tour title. "I can't believe I'm going to Augusta next week.

"This was a long time coming and a dream come true."

Soccer

River stays top with win

BUENOS AIRES: Teenager Diego Buonanotte gave River Plate a 1-0 win at titleholder Lanus to remain at the top of the Argentine championship on Sunday.

The 1.60-m-tall player, who is regarded as another promising Argentine prospect, picked up the ball on the edge of the area, turned, held off a challenge before scoring with an angled shot in the 68th minute.

River, coached by former Argentina captain Diego Simeone, leads the Clausura championship with 21 points from nine games. Lanus is 17th with only seven points.

There was some confusion as to who was in second place.

The Argentina Football Association website (www.afa.org.ar) put Boca Juniors second with 17 points ahead of Estudiantes on goal difference.

However, Argentine media had Estudiantes in second place with 20 points, having included the points from its match with Racing Club. The game was called off in the second half due to a crowd riot with Estudiantes 2-1 ahead.

Four sent off in celebration

RIO DE JANEIRO: Four players were sent off when tempers flared after a provocative goal celebration in a Brazilian match on Sunday.

Gremio's game at home to Juventude, preceded by provocative declarations between officials of the two clubs, turned nasty after the visitors went 3-0 ahead midway through the second half with a goal by Thiago.

Thiago celebrated by running to the Gremio fans behind the goal and gesturing for them to be quiet by putting his finger over his mouth.

Furious Gremio players ran over and pushed and kicked him before Juventude players joined the melee. Thiago was sent off along with Gremio's Tadeu.

Jonas pulled one back for Gremio but was sent off for kicking Juventude's Hercules three minutes later after initially trying to knock him over with a two-footed lunging tackle.

As Hercules got up, he was pushed over by Gremio's Eduardo Costa, who was also sent off to leave the host with 8 men.

Baseball

Blue Jays sweep Red Sox

TORONTO: Toronto completed a three-game sweep of the World Series champion Boston Red Sox with Frank Thomas hitting a grand slam home run to lead the Blue Jays to a 7-4 victory on Sunday.

Vernon Wells added a two-run homer and Roy Halladay picked up his first win of the season as the Blue Jays out-scored the weary Red Sox 23-9 in the series and improved their record to 4-2.

Boston (3-4) started their season on a three-country road trip. They split two games with Oakland in Tokyo and then took both games against the Athletics in Oakland before coming to Canada and losing all three games of the series against Toronto.

(China Daily 04/08/2008 page24)