Golf | Brooks Koepka takes No. 1 spot, winning CJ Cup

Brooks Koepka

Brooks Koepka took the No. 1 spot in the world ranking from Dustin Johnson, finishing his victory in the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges with a 25-foot eagle putt.

Koepka won by four strokes, playing the back nine in 7-under 29 for an 8-under 64 and a 21-under 267 total. He holed a 70-foot chip-and-run for birdie on the par-4 16th.

The 28-year-old American has won three of his last 11 starts, also taking major titles in the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. He has five PGA Tour victories.

Gary Woodland was second after a 63. Ryan Palmer birdied the last seven holes for a course-record 62. He tie for third with Rafa Cabrera Bello (65) at 15 under.

Koepka won in his first start of the new season after taking PGA Tour Player of the Year honors last season. He’s the third player this year to reach No. 1 for the first time, joining Justin Rose and Justin Thomas. The last time that happened was in 1997 with Ernie Els, Tom Lehman and Tiger Woods.

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Woody Austin shot a 3-under 69 for a one-stroke victory over Bernhard Langer in the PGA Tour Champions’ playoff-opening Dominion Energy Charity Classic.

The 54-year-old Austin finished at 11 under at The Country Club of Virginia’s James River Course. He won his fourth senior title and first since 2016.

Langer, the defending tournament champion and season points leader, had a 70. The 61-year-old German star won last week in North Carolina.

Jay Haas, the second- round leader after a 65, shot a 74 to tie for third with Fran Quinn (69) and Kent Jones (70) at 9 under. The 64-year-old Haas missed a chance to become the tour’s oldest winner.

The top 72 players qualified for the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs opener. The top 54 move on to the Invesco QQQ Championship next week in Thousand Oaks, California, and the top 36 after that will advance to the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix.

LPGA TOUR

Danielle Kang won the LPGA Shanghai for her second career title, closing with a 3-under 69 for a two-stroke victory over seven players.

Kang finished at 13-under 275 at Qizhong Garden Golf Club. The American also won the 2017 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, one of the five women’s major championships.

Lydia Ko had a 66 to tie for second with Ariya Jutanugarn (71), Marina Alex (67), Annie Park (67), Wenbo Liu (68), Brittany Altomare (71) and Sei Young Kim (72).

EUROPEAN TOUR

Tournament host Sergio Garcia had a three- shot lead with 11 holes to play when the Andalucia Valderrama Masters was suspended because of heavy rain and the threat of lightning.

Play was set to resume today [Macau time] in the event already cut from 72 to 54 holes.

Garcia was even par for seven holes, making a birdie and a bogey. The tournament winner last year and in 2011, the Spanish star was 10 under at Valderrama Golf Club. England’s Lee Westwood was second. AP