Willett punches Masters ticket

England's Danny Willett will be a big winner in the final world rankings of the year, to be issued next week, by narrowly qualifying for the 2015 Masters.

Scott hires new bagman

Australian world No 3 Adam Scott has hired a new caddie to replace semi-retired Steve Williams after auditioning several hopefuls in recent months.

Ali sparring with 'mild' pneumonia

Boxing icon Muhammad Ali, who has lived with Parkinson's disease for three decades, was in stable condition after being hospitalized on the weekend with a "mild" case of pneumonia, his spokesman said on Sunday.

Brady's bunch earns first-round bye

Tom Brady and the Patriots will be resting at home for the start of the playoffs.

Cavs find a new way to finish

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving stepped aside on Sunday and let Dion Waiters finish off the Memphis Grizzlies.

Score board

Liverpool shows top-4 form

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said his players demonstrated the character necessary to revitalize the club's challenge for a top-four Premier League finish in its last-gasp 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday.

Magpies make unwanted history

Alan Pardew suffered the ignominy of becoming the first Newcastle manager to lose four straight Tyne-Wear derbies against Sunderland after Adam Johnson's goal in the 90th minute subjected the Magpies to more misery against their archrival on Sunday.

FIFA official lauds England's Cup bid

England's failed bid to host the 2018 World Cup "was by far the strongest contender," FIFA official Harold Mayne-Nicholls was quoted as saying on Sunday.

Dortmund flirting with relegation

Mats Hummels said there is no guarantee Borussia Dortmund will avoid relegation next May after last season's runner-up finished the first half of the Bundesliga season tied for last place on Sunday.

Mourinho: Independent panels lack consistency

Allowing independent panels to punish players retrospectively for diving and other infringements would be a "disaster," according to Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

Bayern fuels 'boring Bundesliga' debate

Bayern Munich will start 2015 with a record 11-point lead in the Bundesliga, sparking debate over how to stop Germany's top flight becoming boring.